To Run With The Rising Sun
by KittyoftheNight
Summary: Coming back to Bear Valley had always been a challenge, but as time passed, it only became harder. Things change for Celine when she finally decides to come back for a visit, only to have her entire life turned upside down on the eve of her return. Will she survive or will she fall. JeremyxOC
1. Ch 1: The Beginning

**To Run With The Rising Sun**

**Chapter 1**

**The Beginning**

Her eyes stared outwards, looking at everything, but nothing at the same time. Her pupils were dilated, rising out, expanding as they seemed to block out most of grey that was her eyes. Things shifted in front of her, things that she didn't understand. Her vision turned yellow and green, alternating with other colors as though seeing through filtered lenses. Something was changing inside of her and it scared her as she lay there, leg bleeding, hands shaking. She'd been attacked. Not once, but twice had it caught her skin, slicing it open. Her body shook as she breathed out, pain overriding her conscious mind. She was going to die out there and no one would be the wiser.

~Earlier that day~

Rays of light shown in through clear glass windows, a mop of dark hair pressed against the glass in sleep. A large bump in the tracks sent them jolting awake after knocking their head against the window pane. Staring forward, the woman blinked, rubbing her eyes for a moment trying to rid them of sleep. She blinked again before running a hand through her hair, eyes turning to look out the window and into the tree line. She was almost back, a faint smile on her face as she knew her parents would be waiting for her right where they always did.

Above her head, the loud speaker crackled for a moment, before a voice broke through.

"Arriving in Bear Valley in ten minutes," the man's voice came through. "Please continue to stay seated until we make a full stop."

With that, the speakers went quiet, the other passengers conversing happily. It was obvious that they were happy to be arriving close to on time. With that, she pulled up her sleeve, glancing at the old vintage watch on her wrist. The copper of the Indian head penny shown back at her, the thin silver hands reading eleven thirty three. She could feel the smile pulling at her lips as she as she stomach rumbled. She'd be going to the diner for lunch once she got off the train, making her way into town and staying at one of the local inns.

~xXx~

"Yes, that's correct, room three on the ground floor," the woman spoke on the phone as she got out of the cab, placing her hand over the phone for a moment as she gave her thanks to the man. "Yes, I'll pay the fee for transport. Just place it on my card. Yes, you too."

With that, she ended the call, looking out at the diner in front of her. Walking inside, she looked around, noticing the girl behind the counter, her red hair peeking out here and there.

"Kelly, is that you?" she asked, a smile on her face as she stepped forward.

Sure enough, it was her old friend from high school.

"Celine Hamilton!" the girl practically screamed, quickly making her way out from behind the counter to hug her old friend.

Celine laughed as she wrapped her arms around the girl, drawing in a breath.

"How long has it been?" she asked. "Two, three years?"

Celine grimaced, rubbing the back of her neck. She hadn't been back in almost two years, having buried herself in her work. She meant to visit a few times a year, but as time passed, her visits became far and few between.

"Almost two," Celine admitted.

"I mean, what happened to holidays and the girls night outs?" Kelly asked, pouting as she looked down at her friend.

Celine stood at a mere five foot five, while Kelly stood at five foot eight, and that wasn't including the high heels that she normally wore. Not that Celine really cared, she had a few pairs of heels of her own, but none of them were nearly as high as Kelly's. Tossing that aside though, Celine shook her head, offering her friend a proper smile for once.

"How about some food?" Celine asked. "After all, I just came from the train station."

Kelly's eyes widened in realization at Celine's words, quickly ushering her into a seat, and taking her jacket.

"I am _so_ sorry," she said, laughing nervously as she quickly grabbed a menu and handed it over. "You know, you just have to tell me to shut up one of these times," she laughed, going back behind the counter for a moment to get her note pad.

"I'd _never_ do that," Celine laughed, smiling as she watched her friend run around the diner. "Besides, you haven't seen me in almost two years, it's to be expected," she assured her.

"Still. Now, what do you want?" Kelly asked firmly, trying to act professional.

Celine sat there for a moment as she looked over the menu, silently weighing her options. She honestly didn't feel like a burger at the moment and the prospect of dumplings was just too much for her to pass up.

"I think I'll go with the dumplings," she announced. "And some hot tea to go with it."

"Alrighty, dumplings and tea coming up."

With a firm nod of her head, Kelly disappeared, taking her menu with her as she went to fill her order. From what Celine could tell, Kelly seemed fairly serious about her job, and that made Celine very proud of her. In the past, Kelly had never really taken such opportunities seriously, and Celine had warned her that if she kept it up then it would catch up to her. Luckily, it seemed like the girl had finally settled down enough to actually concentrate on one.

"Here you go," Kelly smiled, sliding a cup of steaming tea in front of her friend. "I'll have your dumplings out in a few minutes."

"Thanks Kelly."

After that, Celine turned back to her tea, sliding it a bit closer. Turning to her right, she plucked a few packets of sugar from their place, tearing the tops open with her teeth and dumping them into the cup. She then took the spoon from the rolled up cutlery set and started stirring it up. She let out a sigh though as she watched the steam roll off the top, quietly curling around her finger as she let it hover above the cup, silently becoming lost in her own thoughts.

As Kelly had pointed out, Celine had come home less and less over the years. In a way, it wasn't necessarily deliberate, but at the same time it was. After everything with her parents she just seemed out of place whenever she came home, resulting in fewer and fewer visits. Normally, she'd just shut herself up in her apartment with her roommate Helen, working on different projects here and there. In order to make a living she would clean houses and similar things, ending up with a fairly open schedule. This left her able to work on her art, normally selling off low cost commissions for portrait paintings as she was still trying to make her way into a gallery. Every now and then, she'd make time for more personal projects, working on her landscapes among others. In a hour, most of her luggage would be at the inn, resting inside the room for her to work with once she felt she was ready.

After she ate, Celine had bid her friend farewell. Once she had checked in at the inn, she had set everything up, pulling out her paints and other supplies. After a few hours of barely painting though, she decided to make her way out for her visit. She had nothing else to do save for nostalgia. In fact, at times, that's really about the only reason why she even bothered to come home. After all, her parents were the only reason, and even that wasn't saying much.

~xXx~

So many thoughts ran through her head as she walked up the path, grass having already grown over in different spots. Still, her boots managed to kick up dirt every time she came. It never changed. The bushes were the same, no one having bothered to trim and clean them up, random shoots popping out unevenly as a result. Her heartbeat picked up a bit. Kids had left trash laying around, littering the ground. She even found a few beer bottles as she got closer, quietly flexing her hands.

What irritated Celine the most was the dirt she found covered what should have been polished stone, subconsciously biting down on her lip.

"Hi…" she breathed out, kneeling down as she brushed her fingers over the edge of the headstone.

She could feel her lip quiver as she sat there, eyes welling up with tears. The names Charles and Erica Hamilton stared back at her, taunting her almost. She racked her nails over the dry dirt, scratching it off in an attempt to free the stone from the unwanted hindrance. A speck of grey peeked through as she continued, rubbing the palm of her hand against it as well. The dirt had likely decorated the stone for months, covering and shielding it from the light. The grass around it was filled with weeds for which she soon found herself pulling up.

_"Come on, you can do better than that," her father teased._

Celine cried, pulling at weeds as the fibers tore away at her hands, slicing the sensitive top layer of flesh. It didn't seem to bother her as she kept at it though, pulling them up by the roots and tossing them to the side one by one. She had promised herself that she would oversee the sight during each visit, but had failed. That thought alone seemed to fuel her emotions as she continued to tear into the ground, shredding the grass along with the weeds. She should have been there before now, should have been there months ago, should have been there period. As that realization hit her she slammed her hands down into the dirt, her nails digging in as she sobbed.

_"What's the matter baby?" her mother asked._

As she cried, the sky continued to darken. In a way, it almost seemed to mimic her mood, the clouds above turning dull and foreboding. She could practically smell the rain in the air, yet she didn't care. When it finally began to pour, her eyes closed, a shiver running down her spine. The ran itself seemed to still her for a moment, allowing her to take in the world around her. She had no clue how long she had sat there, the rain soaking her clothes and body to the core. It washed her clean, draining her tears from her eyes along with her emotions, dulling them.

_"Come on baby, you'll be alright," her mother spoke sweetly. "It's just a storm."_

Celine stared up at the sky, the rain falling on her face. She used to hate storms as a child, her mother comforting her whenever one would roll into town. As she got older though, they didn't really bother her that much. Instead, they managed to give her a bit of peace of mind, reminding her that when it was all over that things would be washed clean.

_"See, even Simon wants to play," her mother laughed, pointing to their dog as he ran around outside, jaw snapping as he tried to catch and eat the rain drops that fell._

Celine closed her eyes, taking in a shaky breath as she began to stand. As she stood, she heard a twig snap, brows furrowing as she turned her head. The breeze, blew her hair up in front of her making her push it back down.

"Some one there?" she called out, another shiver running through her spine.

Another snapped, turning her head to the right.

"Hello?"

Her eyes widened though as a bolt of lightning struck, lips parting in disbelief. There was a growl and she backed away, her breath catching in her throat as she stared at the beast in front of her, unable to distinguish whether it was a coyote or something else. As it drew closer, snapping at her she took in its size. The thing could have easily been twice her size.

"Easy now," she stammered.

A scream tore through her at the next bolt, the creatures fangs tearing into her shoulder like a piece of meat. Blood flew as she fell to the ground, knocking her head on one of the stones, momentarily knocking her senseless. She felt it again as teeth sank into her lower left leg, crushing and pulling her through the grass towards the trees. The storm muted her cry as she tried to pull away, only to have the beast bite down harder, pulling her further from the cemetery and through the undergrowth.

~xXx~

Her eyes stared outwards, looking at everything, but nothing at the same time. Her pupils were dilated, rising out, expanding as they seemed to block out most of grey that was her eyes. Things shifted in front of her, things that she didn't understand. Her vision turned yellow and green, alternating with other colors as though seeing through filtered lenses. Something was changing inside of her and it scared her as she lay there, leg bleeding, hands shaking. She'd been attacked. Not once, not twice, but three times had it caught her skin, slicing it open. Her body shook as she breathed out, pain overriding her conscious mind. She was going to die out there and no one would be the wiser.

That's what she thought as she lay there until she heard a howl. Her mind raced for a moment, thinking that whatever it had been had decided to come back for her and finish the job. She was met with an unexpected surprise though when something slightly different came trotting towards her, its eyes never wandering.

In front of her stood something different, its fur long and full, instead of the matted mane that had belonged to the previous animal. The creature seemed to blend in with the darkness, panting lightly. Standing in front of her were the most beautiful blue eyes she had ever seen. They seemed to pierce right through her as it slowly crept forward, its nostrils flaring slightly as it sniffed her wounds, before growling low in its throat.

"It… It's okay," she whispered quietly, swallowing the lump in her throat.

Again, pain shot through her, her teeth pressing tightly together as she felt something move. A crack soon followed as she cried out. It had felt like her hand had been broken, reset, and then broken again. She watched as one of her fingers seemed to extend, the knuckled being pressed back and down out of the way. A whine followed a moment later as the beast lowered its head toward her as if trying to comfort her. Was it showing sympathy for her?

Carefully, Celine lifted her other hand, slowly reaching toward the creature. It didn't move as she placed her hand on its head, burying her fingers in its luscious fur. Again, it whined, lowering itself further until it was laying beside her. Its tongue reached out cautiously and licked at her face, resulting in pain as it cleaned the blood from the marks on her face. Again, it howled, the sound nearly splitting her eardrums in the process.

Before long, she could hear footsteps. They sounded so close and at the same time, so far away. Dark clad feet were in front of her next as she closed her eyes, blinking slowly as her vision blurred again, merging into a sorts of strange shapes. Whoever it was seemed to be checking her over for a moment, hands gliding over her arms and side. They checked her shoulder and then her leg, lightly testing the skin as it burned with its own white hot pain. Celine couldn't complain though as the bits seemed tolerable compared to everything else.

For a moment, Celine's mind went back to the night five years ago, images fading in and out of her line of sight. She could hear the crack of the gun as the lightning struck and she could feel the blood on her face. She didn't want to die tonight, but she wasn't sure if it mattered.

"Please…" she tried, voice cracking. "I don't…want to die."

With that, Celine's world went black.

**Alright everyone, this is my first attempt at a Bitten story. I recently found the series and fell in love with it. I can't wait for season 2. I hope that it was okay for the first chapter. I would like to hear what everyone thinks though as I was SERIOUSLY need help with some ideas on where to go with it. In turn, this story is also set a few months before Elena returns to Stone Haven, but will eventually follow with the serious. This story will likely be a little slow in posted though, but that is because I'm still deciding how to work it which is why I need everyones thoughts and input. Thanks again everyone and I really hope that you like it!**


	2. Ch 2: Carry You Home

**To Run With The Rising Sun**

**Chapter 2**

**Carry You Home**

**Inspiration: Carry You Home by Zara Larsson**

Light. As faint glow met clammy yet burning skin. Light. It flooded the room, sparking consciousness for a brief moment, then darkness.

~xXx~

_"Hey, Mom, watch this!"_

_ A little girl came running forward, dark hair whipping behind her head as she pushed herself forward. She let out a cry of excitement as she launched herself forward, her little feet catching the edge of the swing as she gripped the chain in her hands. She was sent flying into the air, laughter echoing around her as a feeling of contentment overwhelmed her._

_ She loved running around with the wind in her face, testing herself to see just how far she could go, her passion for life burning inside of her. It was just the way that she was, always seeming to surprise her parents as she went out of the way to have fun._

_ "Careful sweetie," her mother called out, a faint smile painted on her full pink lips as she stared at her daughter._

_ "But its fun Mom," she whined, giggling as she let her feet slip suddenly, her mother's eyes going wide in shock._

_ "Celine!" her mother yelled, about ready to run toward her daughter before she watched her grin, easily catching herself and placing her butt at the edge of the seat._

_ "See Mom, I'm fine," Celine laughed._

~xXx~

"What are we going to do?"

The voice came from the shadows. There was concern held within the question as the male spoke, turning toward their companion.

"We can't just leave her like that," he expressed, running a hand through his hair, various strands falling back down in his face.

"Clay," his companion began, holding up a hand in an attempt to stop him. "She has already come this far. Why don't we wait and see how things pan out," the man suggested, turning his attention toward where their guess laid in a cage, the metal reflex in the afternoon light.

"But Jeremy," Clay started again, pacing around the room. "She was already bleeding out when we found her. How do we know she'll even make it?" he asked, looking toward the man that he considered a father.

"We must be patient Clay," Jeremy offered. "Please, trust me on this?"

Clay stood there for a moment, reaching his hand out and resting it on one of the bar on the cage. The woman inside laid there on the makeshift bed, hair sticking to her face with fever. She had already been removed of her clothing and dressed in a simple cotton dress once belonging to his mate. As she lay there, her breath came out in spurts as pain continued to plague her body. Despite all of this though, her body still seemed to be copping with it, managing the pain as best as it could.

"I trust you," Clay said, bowing his head in respect as his eyes trailed along the woman's for one more time.

He then turned his back to the cage and making his way toward the stairs.

"I'll bring some food down in a bit."

With that, Clay left the room all together.

~xXx~

_ "Hey, Dad?" Celine spoke up._

_ "Yeah?"_

_ Her father stared down at her for a moment, reeling in his line as he sat beside her. They'd gone out to the lake for a fishing trip, deciding on a bit of father daughter bonding time._

_ "Why is it you and Mom don't talk as much anymore?" she asked, looking over at him from her spot in the boat._

_ Ever since she had turned 14, it had become more and more obvious that something was up between the two of them. Some times, she wondered if it had to do with her. Other times, she wondered if it had been a result of some outside source._

_ "Celine," he started, slowly letting out a breath of air before turning toward his daughter. "You're mother and I love you very much. You know that, right?" he asked, confusing her for a moment._

_ "Yeah," she nodded, unsure of where it was going with everything._

_ "Your mom always wanted kids," he said, pulling in his line a bit further. "She was so happy when we go word that she was pregnant with you," he smile, thinking back on it. "We had tried for three years before we finally had you in front of us."_

_ Again, Celine sat there as she took in her father's words. She knew that her parents loved her. In fact, she knew that her mom had always wanted a big family, never really growing up with one of her own. Her father had been the same way, coming away with nothing, but the clothes on his back when he'd first met her mother. The family had always been small._

_ "After you were born though, the doctors told your mother that she may never be able to have more kids," he admitted, a solemn look on his face._

_ Slowly, Celine began to understand what was going on. Her mother was sad, having a hard time copping with things. As a result, it seemed to be taking a toll on their marriage. This left Celine at a bit of a loss. Would her mother always be like that?_

_ "You guys aren't getting divorced are you?" Celine asked, a hint of fear in her voice as she asked her father the very question that had been nagging at her for the past three weeks._

_ "No baby girl, we're not getting divorced," he assured her. "We're just… We're just in a bit of a rut right now. That's all."_

~xXx~

"Dad…"

Jeremy turned his head toward the cage upon hearing the faint moan, pulling himself away from his work as he made his way closer, a cup of water in his hand.

Again, there was another moan as the woman slowly cracked open her eyes, turning her head to the side. Their eyes seemed to meet for a moment, but he couldn't be sure whether she was truly seeing him or not. For all he knew, she could be seeing shadows.

"Where…" she croaked, her mind swimming.

"It's alright. You're safe here in my home," he assured her, a gentle smile on his face as he sat down in front of the cage, watching her.

"What," she swallowed for a moment, slowly pushing herself up from the bed.

She took a step forward as she breathed out heavily, wavering as she fell, catching hold of the bar at the door of the cage. For a moment, they stared at one another, Jeremy's hand reaching out through the bars and lightly pressing down on the back of her neck. The feeling itself seemed to ease her for a moment, closing her eyes as she drew in a breath of air.

"What happened to me?" she whispered, slowly lifting her head to look at him, his hand still on the back of her neck.

"You were bitten," he explained, gently running his fingers along the nap of her neck.

This simple act sent a shiver running down her back, but it didn't seem to bother her.

"I found you at the edge of our property three days ago," he told her. "You had been attacked by a mutt and drug quite a ways into the undergrowth. Luckily, whoever it was must have managed to catch my scent in the rain and decided it was best to leave."

For a moment, Jeremy watched her, taking in her features as she processed things. Her long brown hair still seemed to stick to her face, but she was no longer sweating as profusely as she had been two days prior. The right side of her face still seemed to be healing though, the rogue mutt more than likely lashing out in frustration due to Jeremy's intrusion on the mongrels hunt. With Clay's help, they had managed to clean it up rather nicely, a large bandage covering most of the right side of her face. From there, he looked into her eyes, searching them for a moment. Most would have been fearful, but instead, there was an air of calm in her eyes as she looked upon him.

Three days ago, her eyes had seemed a simple grey. Now, they almost reminded him of liquid silver, so rich and pure. He had never seen such eyes on a woman. Then again, he made a habit of not interacting with most people, so he knew not if this was truly a first. Regardless, Jeremy stayed where he was, still running his thumb over the nap of her neck in an attempt to keep her at ease. More times than not, newly bitten wolves earning for a warm touch of another, the warmth soaking into their skin and calming them. Sometimes that simple piece of human contact was the difference between life and death. Besides, without the pack, there was no life worth truly living. As a newly turned, one could not survive for very long on their own, and those that did seemed to lose themselves in the pain which drove them to insanity.

"Mutt?" she murmured, furrowing her brows in confusion.

"As I said, you were bitten, and the one responsible shall be punished for their actions," he told her.

Suddenly, a wave a dizziness hit her, her hands tightening on the bars. Pain was the next thing that she felt, a cry escaping her as her breath caught, sending her gasping for air.

"Try not to fight it," Jeremy said. "If you try to fight against the pain, it will kill you."

She could barely hear him as she fell away from the bars, a crack echoing around the room as something in her leg broke and moved, shifting itself to where it shouldn't have been.

"Don't fight it," Jeremy repeated. "You have to go with the pain," he said firmly, watching as her eyes began to fill with tears. "What you're about to experience is a pain among the likes you have never felt before. There will be no stopping it until the transformation is complete."

Again, her vision changed and she was seeing through another spectrum of colors, her vision going in and out as she screamed. Quickly, she moved to pull the clothing from her back, pulling it off and throwing it away from herself. She didn't care if he saw her naked, the item was far too constricting and it tugged at her skin as her back began to shift and pop.

"Don't fight it Celine," Jeremy urged her. "Ride the pain to the finish and you'll be free."

She cried as her lips quivered, her jaw moving and her fingers curling. Her entire body seemed to be moving all at once as the pain overtook her. For a moment, Celine closed her eyes, concentrating on the pain as she tried to push it forward. Her body moved of itself own accord, compensating for the new change as hair began to grow, her back being flattened. She could hear the man's voice in the background, urging her forward, but keeping his distance.

Suddenly, everything seemed to stop and she was seeing things in a new light. Blinking her eyes, Celine turned toward the man, a faint whine leaving her as she padded forward. He seemed to be in shock as he stood there, slowly kneeling down until he was resting on his knees. Carefully, he reached his hand forward through the bars, resting it atop her head. Celine let out another whine at this, bowing her head to him as he patted her head. When she glanced up at him, she could make out the beginnings of a smile on his face. This gave her a strange sense of accomplishment which she couldn't quite explain.

"You did it," he whispered, releasing a breath of air that he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "You actually did it," he breathed, slowly running his hand along the side of her head.

This time, Celine nuzzled her nose against his outstretched palm, enjoying the feeling of it on her fur. She had never felt the way that she did in that moment. Her sense of calm changed though when she heard the sound of footsteps approaching from the stairs, turning her head as she watched another man enter the room. This one was different, bigger almost as he staggered forward, a look of shock on his face when he saw her.

"Is she…" he began, unsure how to word what he wanted to say.

"Yes, Clay, she made it through," Jeremy smiled, slowly standing from his crouched position.

He received a whine in response as Celine pawed at the door, whining again in an attempt to get his attention.

"It's alright," Jeremy assured her, walking away for a moment as he grabbed a small basin of water, sliding it under the door for her. "You should drink up, your body will need it," he told her, before fully turning his attention back to clay. "I think it's time we start preparing a room for our new friend."

**Alright everyone. That's chapter 2. I hope you all liked it. Once again, PLEASE let me know what you think? I'd really appreciate some input on this story. So if there's anything in particular that you'd like to see or have happen, then let me know.**


	3. Ch 3: Introduction

**To Run With The Rising Sun**

**Chapter 3**

**Introduction**

Light poured in from the window of the cage like cell as Celine lay on the floor, a blanket covering her form as she slept, her chest rising and falling in sweet utter bliss. A pillow lay beneath her head and her bandages had been changed. With her first change, the fever had gone, taking the pain with it. Now, her body was left to heal itself on its own without torment.

~xXx~

Upstairs, Jeremy sat in the living room, his body resting against his grand armchair. After Celine had turned back to her human form late the prior evening, he had taken it upon himself to place a blanket over her. He had made sure that she had ample coverage, not wanting to pull her from her sleep after her first completed change. Instead, he had left her to sleep and regenerate. After the bandages had been taken care of, he had taken it upon himself to assist Clayton in fixing up what was to be her room.

Jeremy had spend a short portion of the evening helping Clay arrange things like the bed and closet, taking a few old pieces of Elena's clothing, Clayton's mate, and placing them there for Celine when she awoke. He planned on having new ones purchased for her after the fact, hoping to make her more comfortable. After all, there was nothing better than having your own clothes. Until she could make her way to her room though, Jeremy had accumulated a few pieces of his own clothing, resting them down in the cellar.

The knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts. Pushing himself up, he made his way to the door to greet his new arrivals. A smile then made its way as he pulled open the door.

"Nicky. Antonio," he greeted, pulling each member into a friendly embraces.

The youngest smiled, giving him a pat on the back, making his way inside. He was then followed by his father, the older man rejoicing in the familiar feeling of his friend's arms.

"I trust you had a pleasant journey?" Jeremy inquired, closing the door behind them as he ushered them into the living area.

"Yes, quite," Antonio smiled. "Although, my back is a bit sore," he admitted.

"Stop whining Dad," Nicky chuckled, coming up behind his father and kneading lightly at his shoulders before moving on.

"You should me nicer to your father Nicky," Jeremy chided lightly, before replacing himself back into the armchair that he had inhabited just moments prior.

As they settled in, Antonio turned toward his pack mate, his Alpha. They all knew they weren't there just for a simple visited. Jeremy had called and informed them that a young woman had been bitten. As a result, Antonio had agreed to come back to Stone Haven to help for a few weeks. He was even more shocked when Jeremy explained that she had actually managed to survive the turn and was now resting downstairs in the cellar.

"Can we see her?" Nicky asked, biting at his lower lip for a moment.

Like his father, he too was anxious to see this girl, the one that had survived like Elena had. It was such a rarity and yet they now had two in their life time that had managed to make it through the change. He was desperate to meet his new pack sister as it were.

"Perhaps," Jeremy nodded, thinking for a moment, before standing from his seat. "I must ask that you remain here though," he insisted. "I'd rather not scare her with unsuspecting faces when she is most vulnerable."

"Of course my friend," Antonio nodded, placing a hand on his sons shoulder. "In fact, why don't we get some food started. After all, she'll most likely be hungry."

With that, father and son went to the kitchen, while Jeremy made his way downstairs in hopes of rousing their new companion.

~xXx~

Tap. Tap. Tap. That was the only thing that was heard as a faint murmur left Celine's lips. Laying there, she kept her eyes closed, listening as the sound of what would be dress shoes met the stairs. She wasn't sure how she knew they were dress shoes, but she did, the sound light and supple. Still, she lay there as the sound drew closer before it was level to the concrete floor, slowly making its way toward her. She assumed that it was one of the two men, but she still wasn't sure who they were. All she knew was that she'd been there in that cage for several day, the need to stretch her limbs and run driving her crazy.

Next came the shuffle of cloth. Clothing perhaps? She wasn't sure. For all she knew, they had curtains somewhere. Yet as she continued to think on it, the footsteps came to stop in front of her. The cage remained closed, but that didn't seem to bother her.

"I know that you're awake."

The sound of the man's voice was smooth to her sensitive ears, slowly opening up her eyes and looking upon him. She found herself pursing her lips for a moment, slowly sitting up, blushing lightly as she held the blanket against her front. The man in front of her just smiled, but it didn't seem to a result of her bare form. Instead, the gesture seemed friendly and welcoming. His smile put her at ease for the moment, allowing her to look him over for herself.

Trailing her eyes across his face, she found it to be of strong build. His nose was angular and of decent size, but not too big. His lips were full and pink, the nature color standing out among the facial hair that adorned his face. His beard itself was neatly trimmed and kept short, hinting at red almost. As she traveled back up, Celine caught his eyes. They reminded her of a cool winter frost, the blue captivating her as she stared. She'd never seen such eyes. As she sat there though, that thought stopped her. She had seen eyes like that before, but at the moment, she could seem to pin point where.

"I realize that you must have many questions, Ms. Hamilton," he said, catching her attention.

She opened her mouth to speak, but stopped as his eyes seemed to steal her for a moment.

"I promise that I will answer any that you may have, but in return, I ask that you try to keep an open mind and take things one step at a time."

Nodded her head slowly, she swallowed the lump in her throat, drawing the blanket just a bit closer to her chest as she watched him.

"My name is Jeremy Danvers and this is my home," he told her. "I came across you several night ago and-"

He was cut off by Celine speaking up, a look of confusion on her face as his name hit her.

"You said Danvers."

"Yes," Jeremy nodded, his brows furrowing for just a moment.

"Then this place is Stone Haven," she surmised, blinking as she looked around.

"Well, yes," he nodded, unsure of where their conversation was now headed.

"When I was younger, kids would tell stories about old man Malcolm. How he'd snatch children that got too close to Stone Haven and eat them alive," she told him, earning a chuckle in return.

"Yes, my father was a rather monstrous man I'll admit, but tales such as that are exactly that, tales," he assured her. "In fact, my father died several months ago."

"I'm sorry to hear that," she said quietly, straightening her back for a moment.

"I'm sure. Though, that is not the reason I'm here," he told her. "As I said, I found you several nights ago among the heated head of a storm. You been attacked and bitten by a-"

"Mutt," she filled in, remembering him mentioning that at some point when she had been a bit lucid.

"Yes," he nodded, keeping his patience in place. "Once bitten, you became one of us."

~xXx~

After a while of talking and a good amount of pacing that Jeremy was sure had worn away at the top layer of the floor, he found that Celine had become fairly quiet. He knew how much of a shock all of the information that he had divulged must have been. After all, it wasn't everyday that one was turned into a werewolf, something that for most people belonged only in books and on the big screen. Truly, it was something other worldly and not a lot of people came to except it. That's why the chance of suicide was so high for most after the first change. Most couldn't live with the knowledge of something that was so inhuman running through them.

In the end, Jeremy found himself standing at the front of the cage, hands on the bars. He merely prayed that she would come to except things, for it was far too rare. She was a rare beauty among wolves, something so unattainable, that she was only one of two in existence. He didn't want to have to see that life ended, snuffed out of existence as though it had never come to be in the first place.

"I know that it's a lot to take in, but I'd like to help if you'll let me," he spoke softly, watching as she turned toward him, biting her lip.

Slowly, she padded toward him, a little unsure of what to do. She nodded her head, finding the door being pried open a moment later.

"Come," he said, gesturing her forward, his arms open for her.

It took her a moment, but after swallowing her pride she stepped forward, allowing his arms to envelop her in an embrace. As they stood there, Jeremy smiled, bringing his hands up around her neck and pressing his lips to the top of her head.

Once she was dressed, Jeremy led her upstairs, a hand rest at the small of her back as he followed. He wanted to make sure that she didn't fall after being confined for so long without being allowed to truly walk around.

"Now, I have a few people that I'd like you to meet," Jeremy informed her. "They are members of the pack, like you are now."

Stepping into the kitchen with her he caught Antonio's attention, calling him forward. Nick on the other hand was no where to be seen, possibly stepping out for a moment to do something.

"Celine, this is Antonio Sorrentino, a very good friend of my," Jeremy said as he introduced the two of them.

Gently, Antonio took Celine's hand in his own, brushing his thumb against it.

"Piacere di conoscerla mia cara," he said, before bringing the back of her hand to his lips and kissing it.

"Um, nice to meet you too?" she said, a little unsure of herself.

The two men laughed for a moment, finding her awkwardness at the matter rather funny, before turning their eyes toward the doorway.

"You know, you may actually want to use English," came the faint scoff of another.

Quietly, Celine turned her head. She took a step closer to Jeremy, almost standing against him at this point, but he didn't seem to mind. In front of her was a rather well build man. He had a rough exterior to him that made her wary, his features sharp and well defined. Like Jeremy, he also had a beard, though seeming a bit darker in color. It too was kept cleanly trim. His brown eyes held her as he stared at her, looking her up and before raising a brow in question.

"I see you found something for her to wear then," he concluded, glancing at Jeremy for a moment.

"Yes. My clothes may not be the most ideal, but given the circumstances."

Jeremy left off with that statement as Celine felt her cheeks heat up a bit. Initially she had only assumed they were his clothing, but now the matter had actually been confirmed.

"Gotta wear something, right?" she laughed nervously, rubbing her arm as she stood there.

"Celine," Jeremy began, gently resting his hand against the small of her back as he guided her forward slightly. "I'd like to introduce you to Clayton, my son."

At the mention of this man being his son, Celine's eyes went wide. Clay could possibly be Jeremy's son. The man looked far too young to have a son Clay's age. Trying to put two and two together, she seemed to come up with seven instead of four. It just wasn't clicking in her head. Jeremy seemed to sense the confusion brewing inside of her and corrected his statement.

"That's what we've told people for many years."

Celine let out a breath of air as he said this.

"I see him as the son I never had and I'm very proud of him," he told her. "In fact, Clay here has a PhD in Anthropology and teaches at university," he smiled.

"That's…amazing," she breathed out.

"I'm gonna go for a run," Clay suddenly announced, not feeling like sticking around while Jeremy went about explaining things to the woman.

Before anyone could really say much, he had left the room, the sound of the front door being heard as he left the house.

"Did I say something wrong?" Celine frowned, a little put off by Clay's introduction and announcement.

"I wouldn't worry about it dear," Antonio told her. "He's always like that unfortunately."

**Alright everyone, that was chapter 3! I hope everyone liked it? Please REVIEW and MESSAGE me with your thoughts and opinions on this story. What was your favorite part? What could I work on? What would YOU like to see? Let me know and we go from there. PM me guys! :)**


	4. Ch 4: The Art of The Soul

**To Run With The Rising Sun**

**Chapter 4**

**The Art of The Soul**

**A/N: Inspiration: The Art of the Soul by Anna Nalick**

Another day had passed and Celine had found both her mind and body wandering. She finally knew that Jeremy had been the one to find her, having gone out on a run while simultaneously checking the perimeter of the Stone Haven property for any disturbances. Apparently, he had heard the attack, his ears picking up on her heartbeat along with the smell of the mutt that had attacked her. He'd found her laying there on the cold hard forest floor, her body soaking wet from the rain and blood flowing from her leg and shoulder, her body shaking from the pain. It was the night that everything changed.

Pausing in her thoughts, Celine thought back to Jeremy again. His scent had filled the room down in the cellar, meaning that he had been there with her nearly the entire time that she had been there. He had watched over her when he had no obligation to do so. He'd guided her through the change, comforting her where he could. He'd even embraced her in his arms after releasing her from her 'prison', holding her close regardless of her bare form and then offered her some of his clothes. His arms, they'd been so warm, a feeling of safety swelling inside of her. She had felt like curling up against him and falling asleep, sleeping right there in his arms.

Shaking her head, she ran her hand through her hair. Looking down, she glanced at her attire. She still had a pair of Jeremy's pants on, having rolled the black material up, inevitably turning them into what would resemble capris. A black belt also adorned her waist, keeping the pants in place. No one in the house really had anything small enough for her to wear, so she decided to remain with the pants that had been lent out to her, not wanting to dawn a dress at the moment. She much preferred pants to dresses and skirts. As far as the shirt, it was also Jeremy's. She had decided to just keep it on, the smell seeming to comfort her in her thoughts. Once she got her things back, she planned on returning both the pants and shirt. Although, a small part of her didn't want to give the shirt back. For some reason, the scent was just too damn enticing.

Pushing herself forward, Celine walked through the house, taking in what she could. Everywhere she turned she would find a 'relic' on a platform, the items decorating the house and adding to the décor. There was a large sculpture at the front of the foyer when entering the house. She'd been informed that the creature carved into it was that of a wolf, the piece rising high with the staircase. In a way, it made the space seem a bit larger than it was as it stretched high above.

Celine's eyes trailed to the staircase next, truly taking it in for the first time as it pulled her forward. The polished wood of the stairs shone back at her as she let her feet guide her upward. She gripped the railing slightly, feeling the firmness beneath her hand. Old artwork lined the wall to her left, turning and halting at the stained glass window. The window was gorgeous, but simple with its blocked colors of red and blues. Other than for simplistic beauty, it seemed to hold no real purpose. She pushed that to the side though as she continued her way up the stairs, her fingers trailing once again along the wood of the walls, feeling the smoothness of the adorning panels. She wasn't really sure what to do with herself as she continued to wander, momentarily heeding Jeremy's advice of staying inside of the house. Even though every single part of her seemed to be screaming inside to run.

She could picture herself running outside, the sun on her face as she left the confines of where she'd been held. She'd been there in the dark for several days, most of the light having been blocked out due to the structure of the stone windows down in the cellar where she'd initially been kept.

Stepping toward the end of one of the halls, she found one of the doors had been left unattended, the crack in the doorway pulling her closer. She knew that she shouldn't bother it, but she couldn't help it, her hand pressing lightly against the doorway. She winced as it creaked, frowning for a moment. Drawing a breath of air she drew her feet forward and allowed herself to slide inside. Celine was shocked when she entered the room, staring at the walls of white.

Photos lined the walls with sunsets. Misty skies stood before her, followed by stormy grey skies, and tree lines rose high. Bowls and cups littered the tables pressed against the walls, acting as a storage place, all of which needed thoroughly cleaned due to the large collection. One can only paint with so many bowls and cups before becoming overwhelmed by them. There was also a large amount of paint sealants and gessoes, containers being stacked upon themselves to help save on space. She even noticed a few wine bottles laying around.

She walked over to another wall, crouching down as she found a painting leaned up against it. She was at a loss for words as she let her hand trail over the piece, her eyes taking in the colors and strokes. It looked like the calm night before the storm, the sun ready to disappear at any moment. In a way, it was sort of impressionistic, abstracted to a degree.

For years, Celine had tried to achieve the look of this approach to the fullest, but always seemed to fail miserably. She could never seem to let go enough to perform properly, always catching herself smoothing the edges over with her fingertips instead of leaving things as they were to begin with. It was a habit that she had and couldn't seem to break away from. Then again, that's just how she was. In her work she liked to blend things. Layering and blending was a large part of the process in any of her works of art. She lived for the building up of colors, slowly bringing everything to the surface. That was her system. Lay down color where it needed to be, smooth the surrounding area to lighten the application of the paint, and then mold it to the desired effect. Next, she would start with the darker colors, placing them in their appropriate places while pulling parts back and applying a lighter hue. She would repeat this process over and over again until she felt she was done, before going back and leaving a light rim around things for reflective lighting.

There were so many aspects to painting that went unseen in the everyday world. Celine had always known that, which is why she always tried so hard in her work. It was a determination that her parents always appreciated, but at the same time, never fully seemed to understand.

"I see that you've managed to stumble across my studio."

The sudden voice caused her to jump and in an instant, Celine was spinning around, finding herself caught off guard as she found Jeremy standing there.

"I'm sorry, I-"

She was cut off as he rose his hand, signaling the end of her frantic explanation.

"It's alright," he assured her. "No harm done."

Slowly, he strode forward, coming to stand behind her. He had his arms folded over his chest as he stood there, seeming to take in the painting for himself for a minute, before turning to look down at her.

"What do you think?" he asked, glancing down, then back at the painting.

Celine paused for a moment as she sat on her butt, sucking in her upper lip as she stared. He had asked for her opinion. _Her_ opinion. Why did he want her opinion of all people? After all, its not like she had really told him about her background or anything.

"Well," she started, pausing again to find a response. "Its definitely good."

"Good?" he asked, raising a brow in question. "Hopefully, that's not all that you've come to find?" he surmised.

"No," she shook her head. "You've got a good eye for detail, I'll give you that."

She turned back to the painting, eyes drifting over the horizon and toward the peek of the sun. it was like she could really see it, even with the abstraction. She could understand it. The ebb and flow of the sky line and clouds, the silver lining that always followed; she could see it all.

"You were generous in your applications as well, but not overly so as the depiction still shines through," she paused again. "You favor the half inch for a majority, using a fan brush every now and then to soften the look slightly, but only just."

Looking over, Celine found a faint smile adorning his lips, looking as though he were trying to contain a smirk at the borders of his features. He seemed to find her conclusion more acceptable than the first one she had given. Granted, the first analysis was shottie at best and deliberately placed just to get a reaction out of him.

"I didn't realize you were an artist," she confessed, leaning back on her hands.

She felt herself knock against his knees, stilling her movements as she did so. She hadn't meant for the contact, but as per usual he didn't seem to be bothered by it. Turning her head she surveyed the room again, large jars of paint lining a couple of shelves by the windows consisting of primary colors. Taking in this small piece of information, she concluded that outside of white and maybe a tiny bit of black here and there, it was all that he used. She too made use of the primary three, but still found herself using a few of the premixed cop outs. She knew that a real professional didn't rely on premixed paints, instead, starting from scratch and creating their own.

"You're more experienced than I am," she admitted, turning her eyes back to the subject in front of her.

"Come again?"

His voice was attentive, his attention having been grabbed as he assessed her words for himself. She had said that he was more experienced than her.

"You paint?" he inquired, giving her a once over with his eyes.

"I do," she nodded, confirming his thoughts.

"I'd like to see that some time."

Releasing a sigh, Celine glanced up at him, feeling inferior. She didn't know why he'd want to waste his time looking at her stuff. After all, they were on two completely different levels. Not to mention, she had no doubt he'd been painting for far longer than she had.

"You wouldn't like it," she told him, pushing herself up from the floor in order to stand. "Besides, what I do have is at the inn."

Suddenly, realization had kicked in. she hadn't checked back in with the clerk after leaving. No doubt, someone had noticed that she hadn't returned and was still waiting to pick up a slightly larger piece that had fallen from the cart after arriving at the train station the first day. She had momentarily remember that Kelly had made a comment about stopping by as well, more than likely flipping out when she hadn't answered.

"Something is wrong," he stated, taking in the expression on Celine's face.

"My stuff is still at the inn," she groaned.

~xXx~

Pacing back and forth, Celine chewed at one of her nails. This was awkward as hell for her as she stood outside of the inn. She'd lost her key in the attack that night and had no clue as to how to explain herself to the inn keeper. It wasn't as if she couldn't afford the replacement fee, but she didn't know what to tell the man. Behind her, she heard Nick clear his throat. Jeremy had asked him to accompany her in order to pick up her things.

"We going in yet?" Nick chuckled, raising a brow in question as he stepped forward.

Still unsure of herself, Celine swallowed the lump in her throat.

"What am I going to tell him?" she asked, turning to look at him.

The young Sorrentino stood several inches taller than she, a smile on his face as he fixed his jacket, before moving to wrap an arm around her shoulders.

"Just leave it to me, alright?" he smiled, before leading her toward the office.

Once inside, he went straight for the desk, Celine following along side of him. From there, he went through with explaining to the man that they had gone to the bar several nights ago for a drink. They'd celebrating having her home and some how ended up running into an angry ex thinking that Nick was now her boyfriend. The man behind the desk gave a sigh when Nick told him that it had just been a misunderstanding, but still managed to get into a fight and her purse had been sent flying upon trying to break the two men up. As a result, her things had fallen out and the key misplaced.

Giving the two a once over, the man sighed, before pulling a spare from a drawer beneath the desk. He told them to return it after they were finished and that another would be made later in the day. Before Celine could say anything though, Nick explained to the man that she would be checking out and staying with friends, paying for the replacement key as he turned and escorted her outside toward her room.

"How in the world?" she breathed out, trying to figure out where in the hell he'd managed to come up with all of that in mere seconds.

He merely told her that he was used to such things, considering that his father was the pack Beta, normally clearing up any discrepancies whenever they'd run into an unexpected travesty.

"Alrighty then," she muttered.

~xXx~

Shoving his hands in his pockets, Nick walked behind Celine, watching her as she unlocked the door to her room. He followed her inside, closing the door behind them as she walked over to the bed. She had painting supplies lying around, a canvas sitting on a small foldable easel. As he glanced around, he couldn't help, but to be reminded of his Alpha. She obviously loved to paint, having brought all of her materials with her on what was supposed to have been a short visit.

In fact, Nick felt sorry for here. Were he had been born into such a life, Celine had been bitten. She hadn't meant to be a part of their world, initially living a fairly normal life. Now, she'd have to endure the pain of the change, learning to live a completely different life. She wouldn't be able to go home, wouldn't be able to walk around normal without looking over her shoulder. The life of the pack was a commitment that meant the difference between life and death. In fact, he'd been surprised when no one had seemed to come after Elena after the turn. If possible, there were many that would seek out a female werewolf with the home of starting a new generation. In fact, that's why they were so careful with things.

Looking on, Nick found her packing her bag, pulling her clothes from the dresser draw. No doubt, she had originally planned on staying a couple of weeks. That was no longer the case though. She would pack her things and leave this world behind her, much like Elena had in the beginning, slowly packing up her life. No doubt, they'd have to make a trip to wherever she had come from, bringing her things back to Stone Haven.

"You okay principessa?" Nick asked, speaking a word of Italian out of habit as he watched her hesitate for a moment.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied, her voice soft and quiet.

He watched as she closed her suitcase, her fingers hovering over it as she took in a breath of air. She then moved around him, kneeling down pick up random tubes of paint that she'd left on the floor that night. There were tubes of red, blue, and purple. Even a heavy body white. She had all sorts of paint that he'd never bothered to look at before whenever at Stone Haven looking around at Jeremy's studio. He liked the art, but he wasn't really the artistic type like Celine or his Alpha. He left those fields of study to the professionals, sticking to reading inside or flirting with the occasional woman.

"Need some help?" he offered, tilting his head to the side as he watched her.

She paused for a moment, looking up at him before giving a faint nod. She gestured toward a small stack of paintings lays propped up against the wall by the door. Understanding immediately, he went over and grabbed them, taking them outside as he went to the car.

"This is gonna take awhile," he sighed.

**Alright everyone, that was chapter 4! I hope that everyone liked it. Being an artist myself, this chapter was easier to write and connect to. I hope everyone can appreciate it as I had fun writing it. PLEASE REVIEW AND MESSAGE? I'd love to hear from everyone. What was your favorite part? What would you like to see next? Thanks everyone!**


	5. Ch 5: Not Alone

**To Run With The Rising Sun**

**Chapter 5**

**Not Alone**

Looking down at her phone, Celine let out a sigh. She'd been in Bear Valley for nearly a week and a half now. What would be her initial visit coming to an end. All of that had changed though as things flowed through her head. She didn't know if she could deal with everything on her own.

The last couple days, everyone seemed to be giving Celine her space, slowly letting her adjust to things. That was the problem though. The longer she was left by herself, the more her thoughts seemed to plague her mind with questions and fear. How was she supposed to get anywhere in life if she was made to stay at Stone Haven? She wouldn't be able to work or anything like that. Her life before would vanish before her eyes becoming lost forever and she wasn't sure if she could live with that.

Pushing herself up from what was her bed, Celine scrolled through her call list, finger hovering over the call button before sucking in a breath of air and pressing it. She brought the phone to her ear, listening as it started to ring. Once. Twice. Thrice. Fo-.

"_Celine, where the hell have you been!?"_ her roommate screamed in her ear causing her to wince.

"Hi, Helen," she greeted meekly.

"_What the hell is wrong with you!"_ the woman yelled. _"You were supposed to call me when you got settled in you idiot!"_

Celine sighed as she listened to her friend rant and rave, taking her time in ripping her a new one. She had expected this to happen. It wasn't her fault though, but it wasn't like she could actually tell her the truth about things. If she did, Jeremy would kill her. Well, both of them anyway. Besides, she wouldn't believe her if she tried.

"Listen, I-"

"_No, you don't get to speak!"_ Helen yelled, cutting her off before she could speak. _"I've been sitting here on my hand for almost two weeks worrying about your ass and you didn't even have the decency to call me!"_

"Helen-"

"_You promised to keep in touch and you flat out lied to me! Does our friendship mean nothing to you Cel? I mean seriously, I've called I don't know how many times and you never bothered to pick up the damn phone!"_

Celine drew in a breath as she rubbed the side of her face, slowly moving from her room and closing the door behind her. As Helen continued to yell, she found her feet taking her downstairs and outside the back door into the yard. She could feel the grass beneath her feet as her body began to ache. Her chest tightened as she stood there, lightly gripping at her shirt, Helen still yelling in her ear.

"_Are you even listening to me?" _Helen snapped, no doubt trying to send a glare through the phone in an attempt to smack the poor girl.

"Yes, Helen, I'm listening," she replied.

"_Good because when you get home, your ass has had it!"_ she screeched.

"Look, about that," she started, trying to rack her brain on what to say. "Something came up and I won't be home for a while."

"_Wait. What?"_

"While in town, I think I may have found a possible buyer," she lied, biting down on her lip.

"_A buyer? Really?"_

She could tell that Helen was skeptical. She had every right to be. After all, it's not like Celine had brought any of her major pieces with her. At least nothing that was sufficiently decent anyway.

"_And how did you come across this potential buyer?"_ Helen questioned, deciding to pester her for information.

"You know, the usual," she chuckled. "Running around town and getting myself into trouble."

Helen didn't seem to find her words funny though, hearing a scoff through the phone. Normally, Helen could tell when she was lying. After all, they'd lived together for the last five years. Of course she'd be able to tell.

"_Cel, I swear, if you're lying to me…"_

"No, of course not," she laughed nervously, waving a hand around in front of herself.

"_You know, whatever,"_ Helen suddenly announced_. "I've gotta go before I'm late for work, but you better bet your ass we're gonna stay in contact."_

With that, Helen hung up the phone, a sigh escaping Celine as she stood there. A moment later, she threw the phone across the lawn, slowly sinking to her knees as she held her head in her hands.

~xXx~

Upon hearing feet on the stairs, Clayton had perked up, carefully concentrating on his senses. He could hear the footsteps in the hall, on the stairs. He could hear voices, one seeming farther away as though coming through a phone. Before he could stop himself, his found his eyes narrowing slightly, quietly following the woman outside. As he went, he continued to listen, going out a different exit so that she wouldn't see him.

Clay could hear the sound of a woman yelling. He could also hear the sound of Celine's heart pounding away in her chest painfully as she continued to listen to the verbal assault that she was being dealt. He was actually surprised that she didn't mention where she was staying, who she had met or what was going on in general. She seemed to be holding her breath instead of speaking.

"_Are you even listening to me?"_

The voice was shrill and piercing. Again, Celine's heartbeat picked up, heart pounding in her ears as her nerves pushed it further.

"Something came up and I won't be home for a while."

Clay listened carefully, ready to jump out and snatch the phone at any moment if need be. They couldn't take any chances that might lead someone to the truth. He couldn't allow her to slip, otherwise, they'd all be in danger.

"While in town, I think I may have found a possible buyer."

Clay let out a sigh a he heard this. She was lying for them. Celine was lying in order to keep everyone safe, she was upholding the honor of the pack. Maybe she'd make a decent werewolf yet, he surmised. Turning his head, he looked out at the property, standing off to the side of the house so she couldn't see him. A minute or two later though he heard the end of the conversation and then the phone was sent sailing across the lawn. He took this as his cue to approach, deciding it was his place to help her after keeping her promise.

~xXx~

She could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Her skin was becoming hot and painful as she set there trying to get her breathing under control. It was as though something had been triggered and her hands began to shake. Suddenly, her head snapped to the side, finding Clay approaching her. She eyed him as he made his way closer, his hands up in front of him signaling that he meant no harm.

"Easy now," he murmured, slowing his steps as he crept closer.

He was in front of her after that, looking her over as she continued to shake, pain radiating through her.

"Don't fight it," he told her, already seeming to know what the problem was. "Go with the pain."

_"If you try to fight against the pain, it will kill you."_

Celine closed her eyes as she felt her eye beginning to swell with tears. She was afraid. The pain; she didn't want to feel that pain. She didn't want to feel that momentary darkness.

_"You have to go with the pain."_

She whimpered as she felt her shoulder begin to shift, her arm being pulled from its socket with a pop. She could feel it coming.

"Try not to breathe through it," she could hear Clay telling her, a gasp escaping her as she let out a cry, quickly grasping to pull her shirt from her back.

She held it there in her arms as she pressed her face to the ground, tears flowing from her eyes as her spine started to pop, slowly rearranging itself. She made quick work in pushing her pants from her hips, not bothering with her underwear, her bra already on the ground with her shirt as she cried out.

_"What you're about to experience is a pain among the likes you have never felt before."_

She could hear Jeremy's voice in her head.

"_There will be no stopping it until the transformation is complete."_

Again, she cried out as a stab of pain shot through her body, sending her back onto her hands and knees.

"You're gonna be alright darlin'," Clay told her. "You're not alone."

_"Don't fight it Celine."_

She could feel her legs changing, her jaw shifting. Her hands splayed out on the ground as claws came forward, her hands forming padded feet, and something protruding from her tailbone.

_"Ride the pain to the finish and you'll be free."_

The voice came to her as a whisper as fur warmed her skin and a howl erupted from her chest. She had finally made it, shaking her body to rid herself of the sensation.

"Not bad for your second time."

Turning her head, she blinked, craning her head to look up at Clay. His hand came forward, ruffling her fur slightly as she whined. She closed her eyes in contentment as she nuzzled the masculine hand, quietly begging with a whine for him to continue.

"You never want to hold all of that inside of you," he explained. "If you're in pain, you can always change."

Whining, she nipped lightly at the skin of his hand, tail waging in a playful manner. She'd been in the house for far too long with nothing to do. She wanted to be able to roam around freely.

"What?" he asked, raising a brow in question. "You wanna go for a run?"

Celine barked in reply, a strange feeling running through her as she did so. Is that what it was like, to talk as a wolf?

"Alright," Clay nodded. "I could use a run anyway."

With that, he pulled his shirt over his head, tossing it down on the ground. He then went to remove his pants, watching her as he did so. In response, Celine laid down, bringing her paws forward to rack over her snout in an attempt to cover her eyes in embarrassment. Clay didn't seem to care though, taking it in stride as he smirked.

"Don't worry darlin', you'll get used to it."

After that, Celine watched as he hunched over, hanging his head for a moment. Cracking followed as she watched him grip the ground, a growl accompanying him as he rode through the change with ease. No doubt, he'd been doing this for years and had become accustomed to it.

Before she knew it, Clay was standing in front of her, covered in thick warm brown fur from head to toe. His brown eyes staring back into steely ones. It was as if he understood her in that moment, striding forward and pressing his nose to her neck as he nudged it. He could smell the uncertainty within her as she tried to keep in control of herself. Nudging her once more, he turned and began heading toward the northern perimeter of the property, knowing that they'd be safe there. He stopped though went he found she wasn't following, giving a curt bark before she finally began running behind him.

~xXx~

Celine couldn't remember the last time that she had felt so good. With the wind in her fur she felt alive, free even. It was such an otherworldly feel as she ran with Clay, him nipping at her heels every now and then in a playful manner.

Thinking back on things, Celine could almost understand the appeal of the change. The feeling of the freedom that it gave after the fact was just amazing. She could feel everything around her: the sun, the grass, the chill of the air, the living resonance of the ground beneath her paws. She found herself hearing the birds above their heads, the squirrels in the trees as they ran in circles around the trunk, she could hear the creaking in the bark as the branches swayed from the breeze itself. Everything around her seemed to hum and buzz with life. All of this was now a part of her.

Slowing down, Celine placed her nose to the ground, sniffing. There was a scent there, something familiar, but distant almost. In a way, it reminded her of that night five years ago. Sniffing again, she whined, backing away and laying down. The smell was so strong.

"_Give me what you've got!"_

She whined, pawing at her snout. She tried pushing the smell away. It was too familiar to her for her own liking, mocking her.

"_Hurry up!"_

She growled faintly, black lips flaring as she stared at the spot. There was a faint imprint in the ground from an empty shell casing.

"_Now!"_

Suddenly, there was a sound of a gunshot, her eyes searching frantically for Clay as she backed away. She yipped, calling out to him, but found no reply. Her eyes roamed the area, before turning around and running, fear overwhelming her as she followed their scents back to the house. Even after making her way back across the lawn, there was still no sign of Clay.

Frantic, Celine run toward the back door, pawing and whining. She let out a bark or two before it finally opened, revealing Jeremy. He spared no time in ushering her inside, quickly grabbing her clothes from the ground and closing the door behind them.

~XxX~

The moment that Jeremy heard the gunshot, he became alert, placing the papers he'd been looking at down on the desk in front of him. He'd been in the cellar attempting research into the mutt that may have bitten Celine as he intended to find him and punish him. Such incidences could not go unattended, otherwise, others would start seeing in as an unfit Alpha. They would want to challenge him for the right to Alpha as they so often did, but it would be worse. Mutts in particular could waltz up, thinking they could redeem themselves by taking him down in a fight. The thought itself irked him as he had too much to protect. Pushing that to the side though, he made his way upstairs, closing and locking the cellar door behind him. He then made his way to the back where he heard whining, brows furrowing as paws scratched at the door frantically. He knew that it couldn't be Clay because Clay would have changed already or merely hidden from sight until it was safe.

"Celine," he breathed out, tearing open the back door and watching as the young she wolf ran passed him and made a bee line for the living room.

Looking around for a moment, Jeremy found her clothes, grabbing them up in his arms and closing the door behind him. He made his way toward the living room, finding her vigorously walking around in circles in an attempt to calm herself. It was like she was still in a panic.

"Celine," he called out.

His voice fell on deaf ears though as he walked further into the living room, closely watching her as she kept walking around, her tail down. Something was bothering her and it wasn't just the mishap outside. He knew that hunters would come onto their property from time to time, which is why he strictly told those of the pack to stay on the northern side of the property. With that in mind, he knew that he would have to talk to Clay about the matter and find out what had happened.

"Celine, come," he ordered, patting his leg.

Again, she ignored him, sending a wave of frustration through him. At the same time, he knew that he had to be patient with her as she was still newly turned, not yet coming to understand everything or the moral rules of respect that came with being a wolf of the pack. Although, when he asked someone to come to him, he expected them to respond to his order. After all, he was Alpha.

"Come," he said firmly, pointing to the floor in front of him.

This time, he got a grumble of sorts, watching her frustration boiling to the edge.

"I said, come," he told her, an air of warning riding on his voice as he gave her a level look.

Finally seeming to heed his word, she made her way toward him. It was when she made to move passed him though that he'd finally had enough, grabbing hold of the back of her neck and pulling. She let out a yelp as he did this, stopping her movements as he pulled upward, making her rise to her back legs.

"Now, I'm going to move and I expect you to follow," he told her, earning a whine. "Do we have an understanding?" he asked, pulling roughly on her fur.

Celine had to bite back a snarl as he did this, but refrained, not wanting to irritate him further. This time, Celine followed him, though he still kept a hand on the back of her neck. When he got to his chair, he sat down, staring at her all the while.

"Now, sit," he ordered, watching as she remained standing. "Sit."

This time, she complied, slowly lowering her back end to the floor as she sat. A whine escaped her as she looked up at him. She was stuck in this form for the time being with nowhere to go.

"Good girl."

This time, he reached his hand forward, placing it on top of her head. It was a comforting gesture, even if she was annoyed at him for pulling on her scruff moments before. She'd wanted to snap at him in her wolf form. Slowly, each of them had been teaching her about the rules and codes of the pack, but she was still learning. Usually, Antonio would be working with her a bit more, but apparently, he'd had to make a trip back out of town to supervise things. Nick, he had gone a few towns over to check into things which left only Clay and Jeremy. The latter of the two taking over in that department.

"You're going to need to learn to control yourself more," he told her, running his hand through her fur. "I'd rather not run into trouble because you can't do so."

Hearing this, Celine let out a whine, lowering her head.

"I'm sorry," she heard him sigh, feeling him lift her head to look at him. "I realize how hard this must be for you," he told her. "Coming into this world with absolutely no say. Its not something one can get used to within just a few days."

Celine huffed then whined, laying her head at his feet. She didn't want to make anyone angry with her, but it was so hard to control things.

"I promise you, in time, things will get better."

_Things will get better._

_Things will get better._

_Things will get better._

**Hey everyone! I hope you liked chapter5? Please, let me know what you think? I REALLY need feedback for this story. I also want to thank AppoloniaAstria, shalmarrose, and Paddy and Moody's Angel for all of their help! Please REVIEW AND MESSAGE? I love to hear back from people because helps to keep me writing. What has been your favorite part so far? Is there anything that you'd like to see in this story and upcoming chapters? Any music that you'd care to share for inspiration? ANYTHING AT ALL HELPS! Thanks everyone! Also, dont' forget to check out my other stories. I'm going through them as we speak in hopes of updating a portion of them soon.**


	6. Ch 6: Cute Pest

**To Run With The Rising Sun**

**Chapter 6**

**Cute Pest**

The days continued to pass by as Celine copped with the changes in her life. Each day, she'd find herself digging up another lie as to why she wasn't coming home. Each day, Helen grew more suspicious. As Celine watched Clay and Nick sparring, her thoughts continued to go back and forth.

~xXx~

_Standing outside, Celine ran a hand through her hair, scratching lightly at her scalp for a moment. Her skin had begun itching every now and then making her wonder if she'd managed to catch hold of some poison ivy or something. As a kid, the malicious plants would torment her skin, leaving her crying to her parents when she'd managed to scratch gaping holes in her skin. Sometimes, they'd almost been as bad as when she'd acquired the chicken pox at the age of five._

"_When are you coming home?" Helen asked through the phone._

_Celine could tell that her friend was beginning to grow wary at her absence. Unfortunately, she had no clue on how to comfort her. After all, there was no way that she could leave Stone Haven, at least that's what the pack had told her. She still wasn't in full control and she knew that if something happened, then she might accidentally hurt someone. She didn't want that for herself or for her friend, so she continued to stay._

"_I…I don't know," Celine sighed._

_It was getting hard to lie._

"_Celine," Helen groaned. "You've been there for over a month now. How long is this going to take?"_

_Biting her lip, Celine racked her brain._

"_I told you, I don't know. They've been going back and forth with me here about commission ranges," she explained. "I mean, you have abstract and realism, even color scheme for mood," she spoke, closing her eyes as she knelt down in the grass. "They just can't decide on what they want."_

"_Well, tell them to hurry up. I want my friend back," Helen told her._

_Celine allowed herself to fall back onto her back, staring up at the clouds in the sky. She was growing tired._

"_I miss you too Hel," she sighed._

_Glancing up at the house, she could see Jeremy peering out from one of the windows, his eyes ever the watchful blue as they stared back at her. It was like he was trying to make sure that she wasn't spilling their secrets or something, that he was making sure she was abiding by the rules of the pack._

"_Just, please, come home?" Helen begged._

_Come home. That's all her friend had asked of her. Just come home._

~xXx~

"Heads up!"

Looking up, Celine gapped for a moment, before rolling out of the way. Narrowly avoided being squashed by Nick as Clay threw him across the yard.

"Are you guys trying to kill me!" she snapped, narrowing her eyes at the two of them.

Nick just had a lopsided grin on his face as he pushed himself into a sitting position and looked back at her.

"Why don't you join us then?" he asked. "Put us in our place?"

"Seriously?" she scoffed, looking between the two for a moment.

"Yeah, it'll be fun," Nick grinned, slowly pushing himself up off of the ground. "After all, I know that Jeremy's been having Clay teach you."

She looked at him pointedly for a moment. It was like he was trying to egg her on or something. Truthfully, Celine wasn't much of one for fighting. Nick obviously didn't seem to understand that though, pushing her fairly passive nature to the side.

"I mean, unless you're scared to get your cute little ass beat."

That was it. Seconds later, Celine was in front of him, her temper flaring a bit more than usual due to her wolf. She threw her hand out, aiming for the side of his neck with the side of her flattened palm. He side stepped though, ducking his head as he went.

"Come on, you can do better than that."

She leapt forward, catching him off guard with her new found speed. Her body turned like a top as her leg was flung out into a hard hitting round house kick, followed by Nick's block as his arms flew up in defense, the force of it pushing him back a couple of inches. The moment he grabbed her ankle, she flipped around, spinning and throwing her other leg up at him as her hand hit the ground.

"Nice try," he laughed, eyes going wide a moment later when Celine brought herself up in a rush, head colliding with his nose.

Quickly, she was on her feet again, leg flying below his before her could blink.

"You were saying?" she smirked, foot pressed firmly against Nick's throat.

~xXx~

Staring out the window, Jeremy stood with his arms crossed. He leaned against the windowpane as he watched the fight below, Clay standing to the side as Nick and Celine spared with one another. So far, Nick had placed himself on the defense, letting Celine practice her new found skills.

So far, Celine had fought with precision, learning quickly from Clay's lessons. Granted, Jeremy had been more than aware of the apprehension that Celine held toward fighting. It wasn't something that mattered in the end though. If she wanted to survive in this new world, then she'd have to learn how to fight and protect herself.

He watched carefully though at the sudden change of pace when Nick twisted her leg, quickly sending her to the ground and sending his fist her way. She dodged it without a second thought, moving and throwing her fist forward where he once again dodged. He went on to pinning her to the ground, whispering something in her ear before she could fight back. Oddly enough, it seemed to still her for a moment, a hint of worry crawling its way through Jeremy as he pushed himself slightly closer to the window.

~xXx~

Celine lay there on her stomach, eyes closed tight as she breathed heavily, Nick's hold on her keeping her pressed to the ground. His words played in her head as she lay there, contemplating things. He had deliberately goaded her in order to get her into the fight, knowing that her wolf would retaliate indefinitely. He had done it on purpose and then when he finally had her he let her know just how vulnerable she was.

"_All it takes is a pin and snap of the neck Cel. That's all it takes and then you're done."_

She felt herself shake as something grew warm inside of her. It was like a flame rising up from the ashes, something that had fizzled out long ago. Even though his words had been meant purely as friendly advice, it had snapped something inside of her, a growl erupting from her throat.

Within seconds, Nick was on the ground with a bloody nose.

"Don't let your guard down Sorrentino," Clay chuckled, staring down at his long time friend as he lay there in shock. "My turn."

With that, Clay gestured for Celine to come at him. She waited though, watching him as they circled one another, biding their time. Eventually though, Clay took action and leapt at her. She dodged, keeping herself out of reach. Clay moved toward her again, sending a fist her way. Not having time to duck, Celine let herself fall backwards, pushing herself back up afterward and rolling to the side to dodge a well placed foot.

"Gotta stay on your toes darlin'," he told her, moving quickly to make a grab for her neck.

She dodged that, but in doing so left her middle wide open. Clay took advantage of this and tackled her to the ground, winding her and winding an arm around her throat. Growling, Celine kicked out her feet in an attempt to free herself, Clay tightening his hold. When he did this, she bit down on his arm, a look of pain going through his face. The act was dirty, but it worked for just a moment, allowing her to get loose and flip them over. This time, Celine had her own arm wrapped around Clay's throat in a choke hold.

"Give up," she asked, holding tight.

"Not a chance," he managed to grunt out, reaching his hand up and grabbing for her hand.

Before she knew it, Clay had pulled her fingers and twisted her arm behind her back, this time leaving her with nowhere to go as his other hand pressed at the back of her neck.

"Checkmate," he chuckled.

Glaring at the ground, Celine gave in, letting her muscles go slack in submission. Seeing this, Clay released her and stood up, holding his hand out for her to take.

"Come on," he said, a faint smile pulling at his lips. "You did good."

Nodding her head, Celine took his hand, letting him pull her up from the ground. She dusted herself off, chewing lightly on her lower lip.

"Invigorating, isn't it?" he asked, looking back at her.

"You can say that again," Nick laughed.

"I wasn't talking to you," Clay muttered, rolling his eyes at Nick laid back demeanor.

"I guess," Celine shrugged, shoving her hands into her pockets as she kicked lightly at the ground.

In all honesty, it had been a little thrilling, but she wasn't about ready to admit to it. The feeling was as though her veins were on fire, the air brushing her skin as she moved with precision and skill. Granted, she still wasn't as good as Clay, but she knew that she could handle her own if she truly had to. At the same time, her wolf seemed to take pleasure in the fight, its animalistic nature spilling out when she had bit down on Clay's arm. She had tasted blood on her tongue as things boiled over in the back of her mind.

Clay gave her a level look before speaking, eyes watching her carefully as he secretly analyzed her.

"It's a natural reaction to the wolf in you," he explained, taking his time as he began circling her. "We're all animals on the inside. Even all of those people that for some reason find piece in thinking that they are normal, regardless of having the wolf gene running through their veins."

Celine stood there taking in his words as he explained things, trying to help her feel more at ease with the feelings that were rumbling around inside of her. Everything was still new to her and she wasn't sure what to think of them. She'd never been the fighting or territorial type, far from it in fact. Instead, she was mainly quiet, voicing her opinion when needed. She talked with people at times, but she wasn't overly loud and forward. Her behavior would have been considered subservient.

"As wolves, we're more agile. Our senses are heightened, even without being in our true forms."

Clay pivoted on his heel as he turned to face her, squaring his shoulders automatically.

"Everything we once were changes and we become something more."

Celine let her tongue swipe at her lower lip briefly as he stepped closer, her wolf stirring inside of her once more. She could tell that he was stronger than her, more dominant. Clay was completely different from her both human and wolf.

"Your instincts become sharper and you become more self aware."

Her hearing was better. She could see farther than she could before. She could smell things from across the lawn and father. Her nose had always been sensitive, but now it was even worse.

"What can you smell?" he asked, seeming to sense what she was thinking.

Swallowing, Celine closed her eyes for a moment, allowing Clay to move closer. His arm reached out as it set level in front of her, allowing her to pick up any possible scents that lingered upon his skin. It was a test of sorts to bring her even closer to realization, but at the same time, allow herself to hone her skills via open practice.

"Just breathe," he told her. "Let your senses succumb to all of the smells around you."

"I…" she began, drawing in a breath of air through her nose. "I can smell the faint hint of sweat on your skin," she breathed. "The smell of ragweed and dandelions."

The men watched her as she took in another breath of air, eager to learn what she was able to draw out. It wouldn't be the last time that they would test her. No, this was only the beginning as plans were already underway to test her abilities. They already planned to hide certain items in the woods, giving her a small whiff to start off with and then let her run on her own to search it out. Perhaps spray perfume in the vicinity and see how well she copes trying to ascertain the smells around her.

"You've recently been around the rose bushes on the front side of the property," Celine announced, opening her eyes as she looked up at him.

"Exactly," he grinned, a small, barely opened rose bud being produced from his hand.

Looking down at his hand, Celine carefully reached forward, extracting the plant from his hand. The peachy colors of the tiny petals shone in the light as she brought it close to her face. She inhaled, closing her eyes for a moment as she relished the scent that it gave. She'd always loved roses, finding the scent calming when she was stressed. It helped her unwind a bit every now and then, normally via the spray of scent. Although, Jeremy had warned her that things such as perfumes were not allowed in the house as it would irritate their sense of smell. Consenting to this rule, Celine had boxed the little bottle up that she had brought to Stone Haven and sent it out to Kelly, hoping that her friend would enjoy it.

"Rose makes for good tea," Clay told her, before ruffling her hair playfully.

Celine narrowed her eyes and smacked at his hand as she pulled away, becoming frustrated with having her hair messed with.

"Alright, knock it off," she groaned, running her hands through her hair in an attempt to tame it. "The two of you are pests."

"Aw," Nick whined. "And I thought I was a cute pest."

Celine stared at the man, her lips in a firm line. The title of idiot passed through.

"Cute my ass," she scoffed. "There's no such thing as a cute pest, which is why they remain to be called pests," she elaborated.

"Now that's just mean," he whined again.

"And true," she added, turning around as she headed back toward the house.

As she went, she could make out the quiet footsteps behind her. They were slight, before being pushed forward. Then there was an absence of crushed grass and the sound of wind against cloth. Smirking, she sidestepped at the last possible second and watched as Nick landed face first on the ground where she had been, a groan escaping him.

"Next time, ditch the shirt," she laughed, opening the back door before closing it behind her.

There, she left Nick on the lawn and Clay stand there, arms folded over his chest and snickering.

**Alright everyone, that was chapter 6. I hope that everyone liked it? Let me know what you'd like to see next? Introductions to new themes? Just let me know. Also, don't forget to REVIEW AND MESSAGE! I love hearing from everyone! Thanks guys!**


	7. Ch 7: Broken

**To Run With The Rising Sun**

**Chapter 7**

**Broken**

**A/N: Inspiration: Broken by Leona Lewis. I'd recommend listening to it as it pertains to the story.**

Three more weeks had passed by in a flash and Celine had found herself slowly forgetting about the outside world. Every day she spent at Stone Haven was another day forgotten on her old life. Outside of Helen, Celine had practically forgotten about the others as the day to day life of the place she was staying in took its toll.

Even though she had pushed other thoughts to the side of returning to her apartment, Celine wasn't sure that she could. In a way, it started showing in her paintings as she'd take up residence in Jeremy's studio from time to time. Some times, she'd be up there a couple days at a time. Others, she'd spend mere hours. Her paintings began to take shape in the form of wolves, her way of sight taking over the way that she saw things.

One in particular stood out among the rest. It was one that she kept going back to, the piece portraying the image of a woman. The woman seemed to be in secret anguish as she lay trapped in another form. Faint blue and gray seemed to swirl around her, taking shape in the form of a canine creature. The eyes glowed against the contrast of the space in the painting, a slightly eerie feeling resonating from it. The woman's hands were bound together by this spirit like trail of light that swirled around her.

In a way, Celine had envisioned herself as being trapped, unable to escape what she had become. She had accepted it shortly after coming to Stone Haven, but coming to terms with it was an entirely different aspect all together.

Every time that Helen would call, Celine became more and more reluctant in picking up the phone. Its not that she didn't want to talk with her friend, but more along the lines of not wanting to lie to her. She'd never been good at lying, having not liked it to begin with. For as long as she'd known Helen, Celine had been an open book with her. She'd talk with her all of the time about what was on her mind, what she'd done that day, even all the way down to what she'd eaten. It was a friendship that she'd yearned to have for the longest time. Now, she was pushing that friendship to the edge of no return, pushing it closer and closer toward the proverbial cliff side.

T

"_Hey, Celine, you never answered back about my question. Are you doing okay? Call me back."_

T

Celine laid there on her back, the floor boards pressing against her body as she closed her eyes. She had earbuds in as she listened to her ipod, something that she found lucky to have brought on her trip. As she lay there, the song Broken, by Leona Lewis kicked in. She felt her heart clench as her mind wandered, the song floating through her ears.

_If you can take away all my love, what do I need you for?_

_You can take away all these words, there's no meaning any more._

T

"_Celine, why are you doing this?" Helen's voice came through the phone. "I thought we were friends. Does this have to do with your parents?"_

T

_You can take away everything leave me laying on the floor,_

_All those sorrys, we can't go back to the start._

_You can't fix me, I'm torn apart!_

T

_The names Charles and Erica Hamilton stared back at her, taunting her almost. The stones were covered in dirt, having not been cleaned in a long time. She felt a tug at her heart as she could almost see their faces in front of her._

T

_I wanna run away from love, this time I have had enough._

_Everytime I feel your touch, I'm broken._

_Shattered all the pieces of parts, never thought I'd fall so hard._

_I'm putting back together my heart, it's broken._

Celine's eyes began to well as she laid there, a salty tear slowly trailing down the side of her face.

T

Down stairs, Jeremy sat in the living room. He held a file in his hand, something that Jorge, an associate of his had brought to him about a week and a half ago. The Alpha had ordered the lower wolf to dig up some information, wanting to know as much as possible about Celine in hopes of understanding her better. Granted, he was only just looking at it now, having had put it off in order to help Celine acclimate to her surroundings.

As a child, she'd had a fairly normal life, growing up with her parents in the surrounding area of Bear Valley. She had no siblings to speak of due to her mother's unfortunate health problems. Not to mention, both parents came from practically nothing, leaving Celine with no other family to rely on so to speak. There seemed to be nothing wrong with her health as a child either or at least nothing that truly stood out as important.

Thumbing through the pages, Jeremy kept reading over the documents. She'd finished high school with Honors, moving away to college in order to pursue a career away from Bear Valley as most children seemed to do once coming of age. For as long as he could remember, no one truly wanted to stay in Bear Valley. For some, it was far too small. For others, it was where their family had settled generations prior and so some had no desire to truly leave.

T

_You can take these photographs and watch them fade away._

_You can through away all these letters, I don't care about what they say._

_All those sorrys, there's a million reasons why._

_You can't mend me, don't even try!_

T

Jeremy found himself at a loss as he stared down at the folder in front of him. Photos were stacked and clipped to papers along with newspaper articles. The date went back nearly five years ago to some place in New York. It had been a robbery gone wrong.

_Witness testimony verifies a man in his 40's was seen leaving an apartment complex down town after shots were fired at around 7 in the evening. Was last seen in a black hoodie, jeans, and white converse. Height around 5' 7". Suspect is Caucasian. Suspect on the run and at large. Man leaves behind two dead and one wounded. Officials have yet to release the names of these individuals, but no doubt carry condolences to the family._

Jeremy's brows furrowed as he continued to read articles and medical reports.

_Twenty-two year old Celine Hamilton found alive in her apartment after violent shooting. Gunshot wound to the neck and shoulder. Parents, Charles and Erica Hamilton pronounced dead on the scene. Female transported to Townsen General Hospital, New York._

T

_I wanna run away from love, this time I have had enough._

_Everytime I feel your touch, I'm broken._

_Shattered all the pieces of parts._

_Never thought I'd fall so hard._

_I'm putting back together my heart, its broken._

T

Looking down at the obituary, the funeral had been in fall. Erica Hamilton's burial remained as a closed casket, Charles remaining open. He remembered hearing about the funeral. Only a few people having attended, mainly to support Celine as a result of having no remaining family. After Celine had left, their house remained empty. The establishment still remaining empty to this day seeing as she held full ownership over it.

In the end, proceeding medical records left her as being diagnosed with PTSD as a result of the shooting. She had denied most attempts at therapy, his mind trailing to Logan as a possibility if he decided to call him back. In fact, it might prove useful if he did, but he'd first have to speak with Celine. With that in mind, he turned his eyes toward the ceiling where he knew she would be, the sound of her heart beating away in her chest.

T

_I know its gonna take some time, to finally realize._

_I got nothing left inside, nothing to hide_

_I'm broken, broken, broken_

T

The chorus sang in the background as she laid there, eyes glazed over as the tears fell. Her mind was finally starting to let her deal with the things she'd been unable to respond to. Her heart hammered away and her lips trembled.

T

_I wanna run away from love, this time I have had enough._

_Everytime I feel your touch, I'm broken._

_Shattered all the pieces of parts, never thought I'd fall so hard._

_I'm putting back together my heart, its broken._

T

Slowly, Jeremy made his way upstairs, lips pulled tight as he went. He wasn't sure of what to make of the information that had been provided to him. It was only supposed to give him a more accurate account of what she did, who she associated with, where she was from, and so on. He never expected to find such an up close and personal tragedy, one that seemed to shake him to the core. Now, he understood why she had been so frantic after hearing the gunshots near the property. No doubt her PTSD kicking in and sending flashbacks her way.

Inhaling, Jeremy stopped outside the door to his studio. This new information, he knew it could come back to bite them. What did one do when dealing with a newly turned wolf with PTSD. A woman no less. He wasn't sure what to do as his hand hovered over the door knob.

T

_I'm broken!_

_Save me, oh save me!_

_Ohhhhh save me!_

T

The door opened as Celine laid there, the tears slowly streaming leaving her unaware as the next song kicked on. Her mind still ablaze. Her vision darkened after a moment as she came to realize a change. Her eyes clearing ever so slightly as she found a frown staring back at her in the form of her Alpha; Jeremy. His clear crystal blues staring down at her as she laid still, refusing to move. They stayed there for a moment, neither one of them having the courage to move as they stared at one another.

Slowly, Celine drew the ear buds from her ears, another tear cascading down her cheek as it soaked into her hair. She tried to open her mouth, but no sound came out. It felt like she was trapped, sitting there in front of the man that had rescued her and given her a chance at life despite the challenges.

"Celine," Jeremy murmured, slowly lowering himself to his knees as her eyes seemed to well up again, the gates beginning to break.

Gently, he pulled her into his arms, her shoulders shaking as she choked back a sob. He could feel her arms rising around him, fingers gripping at his vest as the tears flowed freely against him. She felt small in his arms, logs wrapped around her. She could feel the warmth of his body as his heart beat within his chest alongside hers.

"I know… I know about what happened to your parents," he reveal, his voice quiet as she cried louder at his words. "I know why you fled from the gun shot in the woods."

Slowly, she buried her head against his chest as the pain became too much for her to handle. Her heart began to pound wildly as it triggered the change, a loud crack resounding within the room. As this happened, Jeremy held her closer, feeling the shift in her form. He knew that his would soon follow as her back began to flatten out, hands scrambling to peel away her shirt, soon followed by her jeans and bra. The she wolf was naked before him as her hands began to form into paws. Her nose pushed forward, slowly forming a snout as fangs appeared. Before either of them knew it, Celine was in front of her Alpha in her true form, a whine escaping her maw.

Jeremy felt a small smile pull at his lips as he looked on, holding his hand out to her. It drew her forward as she laid down in front of him, nuzzling his palm with her snout. She whined in contentment at the feeling, watching him as he stood up a moment later, gesturing for her to follow with the click of his tongue.

T

Celine whined as she watched her Alpha undress, pawing at her face. She had reminded herself of Clayton's words. He'd told her that she'd get used to it, but she'd never seen her Alpha in such a way. As he came to his pants, she bowed her head, earning a chuckle in response. Stripping naked in front of her didn't seem to faze him in the slightest, much like Clay.

Slowly, Jeremy brought himself to face her, couching down as he forced the change to start. The air caught in his throat as he kept his eyes on her, showing her that it was nothing to be ashamed of. As his back shifted, his hands caught hold of the ground. He could feel his face changing as his lips pulled back, nose protruding forward. His bones repositioned themselves as his entire body changed, leaving nothing behind, but the form of a wolf.

Once the change was finished, Jeremy shook out his coat. He then reached a paw up and pressed it lightly to Celine's forehead as he signaled her to stand. Again, she whined, complying to his wishes. She kept her tail down in submission though, showing him respect as he turned his head toward the trees of the property line.

T

Celine felt at ease as she ran with Jeremy through the woods, relieving the pent up stress that had been tormenting her. It was nice being able to run with him, a feeling of safety washing over her as they stretched their legs. After a while, she found Jeremy at her side, the Alpha grabbing at the back of her scruff with his teeth. This stopped her as she whined, halting and laying down. He then licked her face, his hot breath tickling the sensitive skin of her ear.

She cocked her head to the side as she rolled over slightly, pawing at him. In response, he lowered his head, pressing his nose to her neck as he nipped lightly. Again, he licked at her, causing her to whine in response. It was a normal response from female wolves as it was their main way of communication. It showed him that she was comfortable, relaxing in his presence. This in itself gave Jeremy a sense of peace, carefully laying down beside her. She curled up next to him, her side touching his as she let her tongue slide out to lick his paw.

Staring quietly, Jeremy watched as she continued to lick his paw tentatively, before reaching up and licking the side of his face. He was mildly surprised at her courage, but didn't push her away for it. She was getting used to this new form and it pleased him greatly. It also meant that she would soon hopefully come to terms and not push away from the transformation. Instead, she would embrace it and seek comfort in it as most of his pack did. He knew that whenever Clay was troubled, he turned to his wolf and ran through the woods.

Whining, Celine laid her head down on her paws, her eyes going closed for a moment as she yawned. Their run along with the turn had tired her already shaken body. It left Jeremy pawing at her side slightly, before tugging lightly at her fur with his jaws. The area they were in was just a little too open for his liking as he pulled her up with him. Giving her a small lick he whined back, gesturing for her to follow as he led her through a somewhat denser section of the property, knowing that the hunters would never find them there if they decided on taking a hour or two to sleep.

**That was chapter 7 everyone! I hope you all liked it? Let me know what you think? I'd love to hear from everyone. Also, what would you like to see happen next now that Jeremy has unraveled part of the mystery that is Celine's past? All ideas are welcome. Please REVIEW AND MESSAGE! Thanks everyone!**


	8. Ch 8: After Thoughts

**To Run With the Rising Sun**

**Chapter 8**

**After Thoughts**

The following day, Celine found herself thinking back to the run that she'd had with Jeremy and what had come after. She had no clue how long that they had truly run, but Jeremy had pushed her to run until everything had been freed from her system, the tears no longer rolling down her cheeks. They'd run until both could no longer run, following him to a more secluded area to sleep.

When Celine had finally woken up, it was to a feeling of warmth against her skin. She had opened her eyes, taking in everything around her. Jeremy lay with her on his back, her head resting against the left side of his broad chest. The warmth that he had given off was comforting. Although, when she'd finally realized that she was laying naked by his side and vice versa, a blush had taken over her face. Her eyes had wandered as he lay with his eyes closed, chest rising and falling at a steady pace. His skin was smooth to the touch as she ran her fingers over his chest hesitantly.

Looking further, her face reddened. He was well built despite not being as buff as Clayton, his muscles toned and firm. His stomach sported the hints of a six pack, but only just. Drawing in a breath, she pulled her eyes back to take in his face. His eyes were still closed, hair sweeping his forehead. His features were gentle and she found herself reaching forward in curiosity, her hand hovering just above the line of his jaw bone.

T

"Earth to Celine, come in," Nick chuckled, waving a hand in front of her face.

She blinked as she looked at him, a faint look of confusion on her face.

"No day dreaming at the table," he said, before smirking as an idea popped into his head. "I mean, I know I'm handsome after all, but still, no need to day dream about it."

Celine narrowed her eyes at this, reaching down to grab her fork and throw it at him when she heard Jeremy clear his throat at the front of the table. Her face went red in embarrassment as she bowed her head, before continuing to eat. She had a whole plate of pancakes in front of her along with bacon and sausage. For any normal person, the size and amount of food would have been intimidating, but Celine had already grown used to it. In fact, normally, she'd end up with a second large helping of food. It was as if the hunger was never truly satisfied as a wolf, pushing her forward little by little into eating more and more food.

"As I was saying," Jeremy started, pausing for a moment in order to chew another piece of food. "I'm calling Logan in for a short while."

Antonio and Nicki looked to him in curiosity, while Clay sat quietly waiting for him to continue. Nicki was the first to speak though.

"What's the point of calling him in though?" he asked. "After all, nothing is really going on save for the addition of Celine being here."

That was when everything went quiet for a moment, realizing the obvious after Nicki had spoken. Jeremy was calling Logan back for Celine's well being. Jeremy wanted Logan to move his psychology practice back to the pack for a sort while in order to help maintain Celine's humanity. It was something easy lost after transformation. Especially, while suffering with PTSD. It was easy for a wolf to lose themselves completely and that wasn't something that Jeremy wanted for Celine. He wanted her to be happy with the pack, while also salvaging what was left of her former life, hoping to retain what and who she was inside.

"Celine," Jeremy started, drawing her attention forward, along with everyone elses.

"Yes?" she asked quietly, voice slightly hesitant.

"Do I have your permission to request his help on the matter of your condition?" he asked evenly.

Looking around, Celine bit her lip. She wasn't sure if she wanted to delve back into that nightmare. Every time that she did, it seemed to tear her apart even further on the inside, forcing her to remember the traumatic death of her parents. She could still see the bullet hole in her mother's forehead, blood dribbling from it and sliding down her face. Her father's hadn't been as quickly, the feeling of him pushing her out of the way still lingering in her skin after all of this time. She could hear the cries of pain in her ears. Searing white pain followed.

"Celine?"

Blinking quickly, she looking around, pulling herself from her thoughts.

"Hey."

It was Clay, his hand having been reached out and gripping her own. She looked down at their hands, his large one completely enveloping her own as though it were nothing. She could barely make out her own hand beneath his own as she sat there, blinking away the traces of water in her eyes.

For a moment, she saw blood as she stared at their hands. It was a reminder of her father.

Swallowing, Celine stood from her seat, bowing her head respectfully.

"With all due respect, I'd like to be excused," she voiced quietly. "I will abide by whatever decision you feel is best."

With that, Celine pushed in her chair and walked out of the kitchen. Again, she bit down on her lip as she went, quietly making her way outside and into the quiet. She hadn't really talked to anyone about her parents since it happened, merely dealing with the nightmares that came after. She didn't want to think about their deaths which is way little by little, she'd stopped coming to Bear Valley.

Wrapping her arms around herself, Celine made her way through the trees as she began walking out toward the property line, her mind still thinking things over. She knew full well why Jeremy wanted to bring Logan in. It was painfully obvious to her. While she hadn't really been plagued by nightmares recently per say, she'd been dwelling on the past due to being back in Bear Valley for so long. Her thoughts kept going back to her parents as a result. It went back to her fears, back to her young aspirations and more. For Celine, it was like submerging herself in icy water, easily sending a shock to her system as it tried to wake every nerve in her body.

The thing was, Celine knew practically nothing about Logan, save for the fact that he was a member of the pack and a doctor of sorts. Nicki, she knew that he was kind of a party boy, enjoying a nice drink and the company of ladies. Clay was a professor at university, enjoying his time with his students, while also being the quiet and sometimes overbearing muscle of the back. Antonio was a well rounded individual that always tried to keep things in perspective and keep the peace between everyone. Then there was Jeremy. He was old man Malcolm's son. He was Alpha of the pact, sometimes stoic as he stood as leader, while also being sensible and keeping things in place. His word was law, yet he was sometimes hesitant to pursue particular measures. He was also a passionate painter in his free time along with a welcomed open ear if Celine actually decided to talk which wasn't very often. He was a comforting presence among the growing chaos in her mind.

Slowly, Celine sniffed the air, her brows furrowing at a particular scent on the wind. It was almost familiar in a way, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Shaking her head, she looked around, taking in the area before her.

Her legs had brought her back to the grave site, her throat tightening slightly as she stood there. Everything seemed the same as it had been left over a month ago. The weeds had grown back though as a result of not being sprayed, but they were fewer than before, the pieces of green foliage popping up from the ground and mocking her as they always did. She glared back as she leaned down, pulling them from the ground. She tossed them to the side and let her hand run over the smooth surface of stone.

T

"Jeremy, shouldn't someone follow after her?" Nicki asked, looking toward where Celine had left.

It was obvious that the mentioning of her parents bothered her, the mere thought of talking about it triggering something in the back of her mind. He found himself worrying about her as he would a sister, much like he did Elena whenever said she wolf was actually around.

"Perhaps," Jeremy mused quietly, hand stroking his beard for a moment. "Then again, I believe that she merely needs time to clear her head."

Sitting near his friend, Antonio mulled over Jeremy's words. It was true that the young woman was troubled, but when in such pain, it was normally better to have someone else around to help sooth it. It was especially so when one was dealing with depression and other similar disorders.

"Actually, with everything going on, maybe it is best that someone check on her?" Antonio suggested. "You know, just to level things out a bit."

Jeremy sat there for a moment as he took in his friend's words. He knew that Antonio was right on the matter. At a time like this, it would likely be best for her to know that she has people that she can rely on. Knowing that he'd likely have to stay there though instead of wandering around, he turned to the youngest, eyes staring out at the youngest Sorrentino.

"Nick, why don't you go and check on her?" Jeremy decided.

T

Celine stood there with her eyes closed as she tried to calm her nerves. It wasn't the easiest thing to do, but she knew that she had to try. Standing there, her brows furrowed again. The scent. She could smell it again as she stood there, a wave of confusion washing over her.

She turned her head to look around in an attempt to locate it as she tilted her nose up. The smell was coming from further up in the graveyard, her feet carrying her forward as she followed it. As she went, the stones seemed to get older and older. It wasn't until she found herself standing just behind one of the old crypts that a gasp left her mouth. The stench of rotting flesh assaulting her senses as she tried not to throw up her breakfast.

"Oh my…"

She was quickly cut off by the sound of a growl behind her, her eyes widening slightly as she shifted to turn. A scream escaped her lips as it leapt at her, pushing her to the ground as fangs tore into her shoulder. She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes, the wet salty liquid rolling down the sides of her face. She cried out in pain as a loud crunch was heard, eyes nearly rolling into the back of her head. That's when she heard a voice called out to her.

"Celine!"

It was Nicki, anger in his voice as he shouted again, his nostrils flaring as he ran forward.

"Get away from her!" he cried.

In his negligence, he fail to take notice to the approaching figure behind him.

"Nicki, watch out!" Celine cried, but it was too late, the lead pipe connecting with the back of the young wolfs head. "Nicki!" she cried, watching as he fell to the ground in a crumpled heap. "Nicki!" she screamed.

As she continued to scream, the man drew closer a smirk on his face. He clutched the pipe in his hand, lightly tapping it against the side of his leg.

"So, looks like the bitch made it," he chuckled, the wolf beside him growling hungrily as it snapped at her. "Well, good for her," he grinned. "The boss will be pleased."

"G-get away from me!" she yelled, backing up as best she could.

She knew that the change would be pointless. If she tried, she'd be vulnerable, and she had no clue what they'd do.

"You won't get away with this!" she growled out. "T-the pack will find you a-and kill you!"

"Oh shut up!"

Moments later, Celine's world went dark as the pipe sailed across the side of her head. Her last thoughts went to Nicki and then everything was black.

**Alright everyone! That was chapter 8. I know that it was a little bit short, but that was deliberate. The next one is planned to be longer. I hope you all enjoyed it. Remember to REVIEW AND MESSAGE! I'd love to hear from people and thank all of my reviewers for their support!**


	9. Ch 9: Raging Fire

**To Run With the Rising Sun**

**Chapter 9**

**Raging Fire**

**A/N: Inspiration: Raging Fire by Phillip Phillips. Please listen to it.**

There was static in the background. Faint creaking echoed around the area along with the sound of faint chatter. A young woman sat tied to a chair with ropes. Part of her shirt had been torn open, her shoulder wrapped up tightly in what was now a bloody bandage.

"What is with this stupid radio?"

The sound of metal and plastic being thrown against the wall was heard next, pieces flying around and landing here and there without the slightest amount of discrimination.

"This is why we can't have nice things," another spoke, shaking his head at his companion.

He had just recently gotten out of prison, so a radio was a luxury for him. Now, it lay in pieces on the ground.

"Oh shut up Griswald," the other growled.

"Well, at least I'm not dumb enough to throw something when all it likely needed was a change of batteries," Griswald said smugly.

T

It had been several hours since the attack when Nicki finally managed to peel open his eyes, his head feeling worse than it did after a hangover. Reaching up, he could feel the bandage wrapped around his head. A faint growl left him as he began to remember what had happened, pissed that someone had tried to crack open his skull.

Stepping into view, Antonio came forward, cupping his son's face in his hands.

"Nicki, mio figlio. Grazie al cielo, stai bene," he said, lightly kissing his forehead.

"Nice to see you too Dad," Nicki groaned, before turning toward the stairs as Jeremy approached.

Nicki could tell right off the bat that something was bothering Jeremy. By the look on the older man's face, it was all too obvious. Two of his pack members had been attacked, one taken, and he was boiling on the inside.

"Nick," Jeremy nodded, stepping forward as he drew in a breath to calm his nerves. "It's good to see you awake my friend."

"Ditto," Nicki said, before letting out a groan.

"Nicki, we tracked you to the graveyard," Jeremy stated. "We also found a three day old body rotting away," he informed him.

"What he's trying to ask is, what happened before we found you?" Antonio asked, placing a hand on his son's shoulder.

"Celine," he groaned. "I went to go find Celine like we agreed," he started, scratching the side of his head as he pushed himself to sit up a bit more. "It couldn't have been very long after I tracked her scent to the cemetery. There was another scent there, a mutt," he told them, trying to put things back together.

"Take your time Nicki," his father told him.

"I heard her scream and went running," he told them. "The mutt had bit her, but it wasn't one that I had smelled before," he explained. "There must have been another there because the next thing I know, she's yelling at me and then there's this searing pain going through my head."

"How is it that you failed to catch wind of the other one?" Jeremy asked, standing there with his arms crossed over his chest.

"I don't know," Nicki said honestly. "He must have masked his scent somehow."

Nicki could hear the breath that Jeremy drew in, watching as the Alpha walked toward the window. As Jeremy stood there, thoughts continued to plague his mind. He shouldn't have let her leave the property. If he hadn't, then none of this would have happened. Had he been the one to go after her, Celine would still be there. Instead, a couple of rouge mutts had taken her from him them. Being a female werewolf, he wasn't sure what the mutts would do. What he did know though, was that when they got a hold of them, they were dead.

T

With a faint groan, Celine began to open her eyes. She could hear the sound of two males arguing with one another senselessly. At the same time, she could still feel the pounding in her skull, something stiff and dry sticking to the side of her face.

Carefully, she peeled open her eyes, blinking as few times. She looked around her, brows furrowing painfully. More than likely, the bastard had given her a hairline fracture. She shook that off though as she stared at the metal environment around her. It was something that wouldn't really pick up a scent on its own, unlike wood or other materials. If she had to take a guess, she was at and old steel mill of sorts.

"Well, look who's awake," she heard one of the men chuckle, wincing at the sound of his voice.

It was the man that had knocked her out, a glare forming on her face as she spat at his feet. Unfortunately, this led to a slap to the face, her head flying to the side painfully. It left her gasping in pain as the area around her temple pulsated causing her to let out a whimper.

"You hurt Nicki," she managed to growl out.

"Oh, you mean the scrawny piece of shit that came running?" the man asked, laughing in her face.

She felt the spittle on her face, a look of disgust forming.

"Hopefully, it was enough to leave him knocked out for a few days if he knows what's good for him."

Growling, Celine narrowed her eyes. Her wolf was practically in a frenzy. This man was laughing at the pain that he'd caused her pack mate.

"I have to say, she's definitely feisty," she heard another chuckle.

Looking up, she found another man approaching. This one was tall and obviously not as muscular as his current counterpart. He was blond, hair reaching down to his ears. He was clean shaven though, wearing a nice button up shirt. The other guy was also tall. He had no shirt on though, only wearing a pair of loose fitted sweat pants.

"Untie me and I'll show you just how feisty I really am!" she growled.

At the moment, her anger was greater than her fear, pushing her nerves even further. In fact, the ropes were the only thing keeping her from pushing the transformation and tearing them apart. With the way that she was tied up, she'd end up doing more damage to herself than anything.

"Actually, I think I rather like things how they are," the blond grinned, stepping forward and gripping her injured shoulder tightly.

It caused a cry of pain to escape her as he dug his fingers into the wound, tears falling from her eyes.

"Now now, no need to cry," he purred. "We haven't even started yet."

T

"Clay, have you found anything?" Jeremy asked.

Clay had just stepped back into the house. He had searched the entire property and a bit further, tracking it up and down to determine how many and possibly who were involved. He had counted three in total, but he wasn't entirely sure what to make of it. One of the scents smelled familiar though, the scent having come from a soak spot of urine by one of the crypts. The mutt had marked its territory, leaving a stronger scent behind than the other two. That had been his second mistake. The first being involved with the taking of his pack mate.

"There's three of them that I know of," Clay answered, closing the door behind him. "I think that one of them was the mutt that bit Celine when we found her."

This small piece of information caught Jeremy's attention. The corners of his eyes crinkling along with a faint twitch at the side of his mouth.

"So, he isn't as gone as we would have hoped then," Jeremy surmised.

"He's obviously not that smart if he's been walking around on the property still," Clay voiced. "He marked a spot by the graveyard. His scent was the strongest."

Nodding, Jeremy slowly began pacing the living room.

"How's Nicki?" Clay asked, watching as his adoptive "father" paced, hands behind his back.

"He's awake upstairs with Tonio," Jeremy answered, trying to piece his thoughts together.

The Alpha still couldn't believe that this mutt had the audacity to come into his territory, his property, his home of all places, and take one of his own. Celine belonged to the pack, not the mutts. Especially, not a mutt for which had bitten and left her to die during an ill placed change. Had they not found her when they did, she likely would not have survived the night. Being alone with the change in the cold of night would have certainly killed her. Instead, Jeremy had found her and called for Clay.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Jeremy thought back to the very moment when he had found her. Her scent had been sweet, a hint of vanilla mixed in due to having showered recently. Part of it had been washed away with the rain, mud covering her body and masking part of her natural scent. Her grey blue eyes had stared back at him like silver, completely unafraid of him as he had approached her. She'd even reached out to touch him as pain ran rampant through her body, tormenting her. He remembered cleaning her face, the metallic taste of her blood staining his tongue. It had left behind claw marks that had later healed without leaving a scar. She had been lucky in that aspect, but her shoulder and leg hadn't faired so lucky. There had been faint scaring on her shoulder blade, same with her leg. All of it had been caused by the mutt, yet she still never feared him. She had trusted him when most wouldn't.

"Jeremy?" Clay called, pulling his Alpha from his thoughts.

Turning, Jeremy stared back at his 'son', giving him his attention for a moment.

"We'll find her," Clay assured him, nodding his head slightly, before heading upstairs to speak with Nicki and Antonio for a bit.

That left Jeremy to his own devices as the man went back to pacing.

T

An ear splitting scream tore through the air as tears left Celine's eyes, a choking sob leaving her at the feeling of burning flesh. They'd been kind enough to try and cauterize the wound, the evil bastards taking a red hot fire poker to the wound little by little merely to hear her scream in agony.

"Sweet music to my ears," Griswald laughed, his hand reaching forward to stroke her cheek. "You know, if you survive this, I might just take you for myself," he grinned, coming close to her face, only to have her spit in his eye.

Growling, he pressed the poker harder against her skin as he wiped away the spit, another scream erupting from her already raw throat.

"Now, I'm going to ask you again, where are the archives," Griswald asked, coming closer as he pulled the poker back from her shoulder.

She merely glared at him as she shook, anger and pain merging into one. This mutt was asking her to betray those that she considered family. He was asking her to betray Jeremy, the man that had practically saved her life.

"Well?" he asked, moving the poker among the fiery coals in the pit that they'd made.

Lifting her head, Celine glared at him. She growled, drawing her strength forward as much as she could.

"Go. To. Hell!"

Griswald merely tsked as he shook his head, realizing that he wasn't getting anywhere. Tapping his chin, he pulled the poker forward, this time bringing it toward her face.

"Hold her still."

T

Jeremy could almost feel something tugging at the back of his mind. The feeling was like pin pricks, something that he couldn't explain. For a moment, his thoughts went back to Celine, hoping that she was holding up alright. He couldn't be sure of this though as he stood up in his studio, letting Antonio do his job as he spoke on the phone with various contacts. They'd already been through the archives in the downstairs, unable to come up with a lead. It was obvious that the mutts were new, meaning that they had no previous scent documentation to go by like the rest of them.

Nicki had suggested having someone trace her phone, but that would only work if it were still turned on. That and it wasn't for sure on whether or not she'd still have it with her. If it were turned off, someone would have to hack into it. If it were dead, then they'd have nothing to go for.

With a sigh, Jeremy ran a hand through his hair, pushing the long strands from his face. He found himself looking around the room, his eyes catching sight of what would be her I-Pod, the little black device staring back at him. She would normally listen to it while painting, something to push her forward and set the mood. It was something that Jeremy wasn't used to doing too often, normally basing his work straight from the photos that he took from his surroundings. Celine on the other hand did a bit of everything when it came to her art work.

T

Downstairs, Nicki sat with his father, his eyes drooping as he stared into the fireplace. The flames reflected in his eyes, glistening against the reflective orbs as they danced in front of him. It reminded him of the clubs that he went to, the graceful swaying of hips taunting him as he looked on. The images subdued him, almost lulling him to sleeping as his eyes closed for a moment, before he jerked himself awake. He blinked as he tried shaking his head, a yawn escaping him.

"Nicki, why don't you lay down and get some rest son," Antonio said, coming up beside his son and patting him on the shoulder. "You're tired and need sleep."

Nicki shook his head. He couldn't sleep. How could he when Celine was still out there in the hands of their enemy. For all he knew, they could be torturing her for information or worse and there was nothing that they could do about it.

"Nicholas, hai bisogno di dormire," Antonio said softly.

"But father," Nicki started, blinking back the sleep from his eyes.

"Sleep my son," Antonio said soft, lightly pressing his lips to Nicki's forehead.

The sentiment wasn't lost on the boy as he slowly nodded his head, the footrest of the armchair slipping out from its spot with ease. Antonio smiled at this as he grabbed a throw from one of the couches and tossing it over his son. It would do them no good if he couldn't stay awake the following day when they went back out to find and search for Celine. If things went according to plan, she'd be back in their arms by noon time tomorrow or slightly later depending on when he got the call. Until then, everyone would just have to try and get some sleep as they waited for the morning to come. At the same time, their thoughts would be with Celine as they prayed. Although, for Jeremy's sake, Antonio prayed that she wouldn't be too harmed. After all, Jeremy may be cool and centered on a normal basis, but when pushed passed when he couldn't control things could get ruthless. Granted, he was nowhere near as monstrous as his father, but as Alpha Jeremy still carried a darkness of his own.

**Alright everyone, that was chapter 9 of TRWTRS. I'm having a lot of fun writing this and hope you all keep sending REVIEWS my way. They have been VERY helpful. Let me know what your favorite parts have been and what you would like to see next!**


	10. Ch 10: Nothing Left to Say

**To Run With the Rising Sun**

**Chapter 10**

**Nothing Left to Say**

As the morning swept through, so did the sun, it's rays of light peaking through the broken windows of the old steel mill. A few managed to find their way to Celine, shining sprigs of light on her pale face. Everything from the previous day had taken a toll on her, her body laying limply in the chair that now sat with its back to the ground. Her shirt had been torn, blood staining where burn blisters had burst against the skin. The side of her face adorned a bruise, the skin twitching slightly as her eyes fluttered beneath the pain in her skin.

It took everything she had to open her eyes this time as she blinked tiredly, trying to get a grip on the world around her. The pain from the previous night having met an all new high as she tried to move her mouth, a single tear rolling down along the side of her face and into her long dark hair.

T

"_Now, I'm going to ask you again, where are the archives," Griswald asked, coming closer as he pulled the poker back from her shoulder._

_She merely glared at him as she shook, anger and pain merging into one. This mutt was asking her to betray those that she considered family. He was asking her to betray Jeremy, the man that had practically saved her life. He was asking her to throw it all away for the mere possibility that they'd actually let her live._

"_Well?" he asked, moving the poker among the fiery coals in the pit that they'd made, the red of the embers seeming to soak right into the very metal itself._

_Lifting her head, Celine glared at him, her long hair shielding part of her eyes as she leaned forward. She growled, drawing her strength forward as much as she could._

"_Go. To. Hell!"_

_Griswald merely tsked as he shook his head, realizing that he wasn't getting anywhere. Tapping his chin, he pulled the poker forward, this time bringing it toward her face._

"_Hold her still," he ordered, drawing closer as the other man grabbed her firmly by the neck and hair._

_Celine felt her breath catch in her throat as the glow of the steel came closer. The raw heat opening the pores of her skin causing sweat to leak from her hairline. Her eyes were wide as tears began to pool. She wouldn't be selfish. She couldn't allow herself to be selfish after everything that had happened._

"Everything is going to be alright baby," _she could hear her father saying, his voice whispering in her ear. "_You'll be okay," _he whispered. "_You're so strong…_"_

_Everything seemed to fade for a moment as the steel came in contact with her face. The sound of her skin sizzling as it puffed up and blistered, marring it with a distasteful and angry red. The skin itself stuck to the metal, pulling as it tore at the nerves, steam rising as tears evaporated into puffs of air. It was like a shock of electricity to her central nervous system, her eyes practically rolling into the back of her head. It was the otherworldly scream that ripped its way through her, echoing across the balls and bouncing off of panels._

"Everything is going to be alright baby._"_

_Tears swelled at the edges of her eyes as she tried to shut out the pain. There was nothing left to say now as the blazing heat soaking into every tangible piece of the side of her face. Not to them anyway. Even if she did have anything to say, they wouldn't listen. She was drowning in her tears as Griswald tried to break her. There was nothing left to say._

T

A sudden yell was heard from downstairs as Antonio called out, phone waving in the air.

"Maurice found it!" he cried out. "He found her!"

Jeremy was the first to respond, vest in hand as he started placing it on.

"Where is she?" he asked, eyes staring straight into Antonio's.

"She's about 30 miles out at an old steel mill," Tonio told him. "It's been shut down for about ten years."

T

Another man stood outside the steel mill on the phone, his back turned toward the road. In his other hand, he held a little black phone, the light blinking every so often.

"Yeah boss, they tracked it," he said, before walking over and tossing the small black phone into an empty oil drum. "The humans should throw him off enough not to draw too much attention. As far as the girl, she'll be none the wiser," he smirked, before hearing a click on the other end.

Rolling his eyes, he pocketed his phone and slowly made his way out of the area. He had no intention of being caught in the middle of this scuffle yet. At least not until he was told otherwise.

T

Groaning, Celine tried to roll onto her side. The chair didn't want to move, creaking as she tried to manipulate it. At the moment, she didn't have the strength to roll over, merely expelling a breath of warm air. Her vision was a bit fuzzy as she looked around her, finding herself alone for once. In response, she let out a sigh of relief.

Her body screamed at her when she tried to roll her shoulders, the skin covered in welts from the hot poker, looking as though someone had drawn on her with red marker out of boredom. It wasn't too far from the truth though. Griswald, as she found out, was a sadistic bastard. Granted, he was calmer than his counter part, but she had never learned the other ones name. Regardless of that fact, she was left to wonder where everyone had gone.

Swallowing, Celine rose her nose to the air, sniffing. Her brows furrowed as she picked up on several other scents.

"Humans?"

She looked around in confusion, trying to figure out what was going on. There weren't supposed to be any humans there. In fact, the scents seemed so intertwined that it was impossible for their presence to be that of coincidence. What she didn't understand was what part a human would have in everything. After all, it was against the law to bring them into their affairs. The lives of the wolves were meant to be kept separate from that of humans, something that both Jeremy and Antonio had taught her from day one.

Breaking that law would end in punishment. Not to mention, should a human find out the truth, there was no other choice than to kill them. Unfortunately, she knew that had she not been bitten by a mutt, Jeremy may very well have finished her off himself. Granted, she hadn't known the difference, having had no idea that Jeremy and the mutt had been werewolves. In fact, she had absently thought it as a regular wolf or coyote. How wrong she had been in her assumptions.

Luckily, Jeremy had taken pity on her, taking her back to his home and helping her through her change. He had saved her life instead of leaving her for dead. In the end though, she still found herself tied to a chair and burned, the bastards believing that they could simply burn the answers out of her.

Growling, Celine struggled against her binds, the rope tearing at the skin of her wrists. The ropes were just too tight to wiggle out of.

"Damnit!" she hissed, narrowing her eyes in frustration.

A moment later, she heard footsteps echoing, the form of a large man approaching her. By his smell, she could tell right away that he was human. It caused her to groan in frustration, trying to move against her bonds once again.

"I suggest you keep that mouth of yours shut," he said pointedly, stepping closer with a piece of cloth in his hand.

Narrowing her eyes, Celine growled at him, baring her teeth. The man dismissed this though as he grabbed hold of her hair, pulling her from the floor, before tying the material around her mouth and using it as a gag to silence her.

Celine grumbled, throwing her head backward before he could move away. There was an audible crunch that followed and she wasn't the least bit sorry for it.

"You bitch!" he growled out, moving away from her, hand over his nose.

She watched as blood flowed between his fingertips, trickling down his chin. His green eyes narrowed at her harshly, pulling back his hand to look down at it. He paled slightly at the blood, but he didn't raise his hand at her surprisingly. Instead, he stalked away, leaving her bound and gagged.

T

Slowly, Clay pulled to a stop, pulling off to the side of the road and into the brush. They didn't want the car out in the open to be readily seen. It also meant that they had pulled over about a quarter of a mile away from their destination in hopes of surprising the enemy.

"Clay, I want you to search the surrounding area. See what you can find," Jeremy said, watching as Clay began stripping his clothes and placing them in the car. "Nicki, keep an eye out. We don't need you knocked on the ground again."

At this, Nicki groaned, nodding his head in response. They waited until Clay had changed and then headed out with Jeremy in the lead. As they went though, they made sure not to stray too far from one another, Clay running off to do his own thing since they didn't have Elena to track on his one. That didn't seem to matter at the moment though as they kept to the forest.

As they drew closer, they could smell several different bodies, the smell being dispersed around the property. Everywhere they turned, the smell was in the air, the smell of humans mingling with that of mutts. It was all that it took to send a growl rumbling through Jeremy's chest. Someone was deliberately breaking the rules and when he found out who it was, they would be severely punished.

"How many do you think there are?" Nicki asked, sniffing the air for a moment.

"I'm not entirely sure," Antonio answered, looking toward Jeremy for a moment.

"I can smell the scent of three mutts minimum," Jeremy said, sniffing the air. "Possibly five humans."

Nicki groaned upon hearing this as he looked around, scanning the property line with his eyes. It was obvious that it was supposed to be some kind of trap, but they knew that they couldn't just leave Celine there.

"We're going to have to split up," Jeremy announced as he looked between the two Sorrentino's.

He knew the dangers that can with splitting up, but he didn't want to end up getting backed into a corner should they be surrounded. They had to find the assailants and pick them off one by one if possible.

T

Padding around the property, Clay searched for any of those that would be hiding, coming around to the back side of the building. Sniffing the ground, he growled, lips flaring in anger. He could smell it, the same mutt that sprayed his scent around the cemetery. He'd done the same around the surrounding area of the mill. The smell itself was wretched, disgust swelling inside of him. The mutt was obviously a strong male, the individual giving in to the instincts of his wolf in marking his territory. Clay could care less though as he swiped at the ground in frustration, covering up the smell with dirt.

Looking around he sniffed the air again. While the smell of the mutt was still strong due to the urine, the residual smell was all that was left. It meant that the male had left a while ago, though he wasn't entirely sure of where.

T

Standing on one of the oil drums, Nicki looked inside the building. He rubbed lightly at the foggy glass, squinting his eyes slightly. He could make out the figure of a male walking around, wooden bat in hand. He'd be able to take the man out without a problem.

T

Entering the building, Jeremy took his time, keeping his eyes and ears open to everything around him. He sniffed at the air, the smell of humans and mutts mixing together into one. The smell again made his nose wrinkle in disgust. One of the humans smelled terrible as though they hadn't bathed in months.

Shaking his head, he tried again, concentrating on the scent that he was looking for. He was looking for the soft sweet scent that was Celine, closing his eyes for a moment. There was a hint of her leading toward the hallway to the left, barely lingering in the air.

T

Stepping quietly, Antonio crept up behind one of the humans, keeping his footing slow. He wasn't going to kill him though. That wasn't his job. Instead, he was merely going to incapacitate the man. Once within range, he shot his arm out, wrapping it around the man's neck from behind. The man struggled in response, crying out for help as Antonio tightened his hold on the man's neck. Slowly, the man grew silent, and his struggling became less. Once it finally stopped, Antonio laid him down on the ground.

"Now, let's see who else is out here."

T

Grumbling, Celine continued to try and loosen her bonds, a wince forming every time that she tried twisting her wrists. If it weren't for how tired she was and the raw skin of her wrists, she may have been able to actually get out.

Closing her eyes, she drew in a breath in an attempt to calm herself. She then opened her eyes as scanned the area. There were still pieces of plastic and metal laying around on the floor due to the man's rage with the radio. It was then that an idea popped into her head, eyes scanning for the closest piece of metal that she could find.

_If I can get close enough, I should be able to topple the chair and grab it,_ she thought, wiggling around a bit as she rotated her hands.

She knew that the initial fall was going to hurt, but if she wanted a way out, then she was going to have to deal with it.

T

"Well, look what it is."

Turning around, Clay grumbled. It was a pair of humans, the two males coming forward with bats in their hands, one of them have nails stuck in the sides of it. He snarled at them, baring his teeth in warning. Neither of them seemed to care though as they drew closer. If he got a hold of either of them, he was going to rip their throats out.

T

"Now, I'm only going to ask you once," Nicki started, his body in the shadows as he had one of the men in his grasp, his arm locked around his neck tightly. "Where is she?"

The man gagged for a moment, before throwing his head back and catching Nicki hard in the nose, loosening his grip for just a moment as he let out a hiss. This allowed the man to swing an arm at him, but he ducked out of the way, eyes narrowing in frustration.

"What's it matter anyway?" the guy asked, running a hand through his hair. "She's as good as dead with these freaks anyway."

"Shut up!" Nicki growled out. "She's my sister and I want her back."

The man merely laughed as he bounced lightly on his feet, making sure to keep enough distance between him and the wolf. Nicki was quicker though, lashing out and catching the guy in the side of the face. It soon followed with pressing him to the ground and twisting his arm sharply behind his back until it was ready to snap.

"Now, I told you I was only going to ask once," Nicki grunted. "So, unless you want me to break it," he twisted further until the man cried out. "I'd suggest you spit it out."

"She-she's at the south wall," he told him. "By the breaker room."

With that, Nicki pulled out his phone, sending Jeremy a message. A moment later, he got a reply back, letting him know that he was almost there. As he put his phone away, he was about ready to knock the brute out when he heard laughing.

"What the?"

His brows furrowed as he stared down at the man, confusion on his face. Why was he laughing? Nicki could easily end him and yet he was laughing.

"What's so funny?" he growled out.

"Fools," the man snorts, catching the young pups attention. "Idiots!"

Slowly, Nicki's face fell as realization hit him, eyes widening slightly.

"Jeremy," he breathed, quickly pushing away from the man.

Jeremy was by himself and to his knowledge, they hadn't run into any of the mutts yet. That left the room Celine was in. That left two mutts to their Alpha.

T

Slowly, Jeremy rounded the corner, his shoes scrapping lightly against the concrete floor. Her smell was strong so he knew that she had to be there. Pushing through the door, he let out a shaky breath, brows furrowing slightly as he stepped forward.

"Celine," he breathed out.

T

Celine felt her breath catch in her throat as she lay there on the floor, head turned toward the door. Standing there, she found Jeremy looking back at her, tears slowly welling up in her eyes. She shook her head as she tried to yell at him, trying to tell him to leave. He couldn't hear her though as he stepped closer. She was telling him to run.

_Get out of here damnit!_ She yelled in her head.

It was then that she caught sight of the figure in the shadows, moving her head all over the place until she finally managed to pull the gag far enough to speak.

"Move!" she screamed.

The short notice gave him a mere three seconds as the mutt leapt forward to pounce, sending Jeremy rolling out of the way with a start.

"Get out of here!" Celine cried out. "It's a trap!"

It was too late though as the second one came into the room, a snarl erupting from its throat. It was two against one. Two changed mutts against one unchanged Alpha.

"Run!" she screamed, tears slipping out as she struggled with the piece of metal in her hands, desperately trying to cut through the rope.

Jeremy had nowhere to run though as the two mutts surrounded him, circling him as they bared their fangs. He merely stood in the middle of them, hands raised slightly, ready for a fight. Normally, it was one on one in these kind of fights and normally it was a challenge for the right to Alpha. In those instances he had nothing to worry about. In those fights, there were rules, but these mutts didn't care about that. They were out for blood.

"Jeremy, please, be careful," Celine pleaded, trying her hardest to break through the ropes that held her there.

If she could just break free of the ropes, then maybe she could help. She could change then and level the playing field a bit.

T

Standing there, Jeremy took in his surroundings. He had a mutt on either side of him. One was larger than the other, its muscles taught as it growled at him, snapping its jaws. He knew that he was in trouble if he wasn't carefully, Celine struggling over in the corner.

He felt his eyes narrow in frustration as he looked over at her, a large burn mark stretching across the left side of her face. No doubt it had been given to her by one of the mutts. He could also make out the blood on her now tattered shirt, her bra showing through the slip of cloth that remained. Scar tissue stared back at him though, his anger flaring in response.

"Jeremy!" she cried out, alerting him and letting him dodge one of the mutts as they had attempted to attack again, growling animalistically.

Saliva dripped from the largest ones mouth as it snapped, making him back up slightly. He moved again when they came at him, ducking, and sending a fist out to catch the side of the smaller ones head. It yelped in response, but shook it off and growled.

"Jeremy!?"

He could hear Nicki's voice through the door he had entered from, finding it now barred from the inside. It had no doubt been set up by one of the mutts.

"Nicki, go and find Antonio and Clay," Jeremy called out, side stepping as the larger one jumped at him. "Find Clay and he'll know what to do!" he ordered, kicking the other mutt in the side of face and tearing a chunk of fur out with his hand.

The beast narrowed its eyes at him and snapped, before turning its head toward the back of the room, a faint string of fear rolling down Jeremy's spine as its eyes locked onto Celine.

T

Closing her eyes, Celine drew in a breath as she pushed her rage forward. She could feel part of the rope loosen, meaning she'd soon have room to move. With that rage, she could feel the shift, the pain slowly creeping forward as she attempted to keep it in check just long enough to free herself. She could still feel the effects as she heard Nicki's pounding footfalls inside the building, Jeremy's rapidly beating heart, the sound of both the mutts as their breaths can out in heavy puffs.

Her eyes snapped open as she felt a growl tear through her chest, stilling herself only for a moment. Her shoulder was next as it popped from its place, eyes screwing shut as a result. Next she opened them, she was seeing different colors. One of the mutts seemed to notice this, turning its attention away from Jeremy for a moment. It was the small of the two, Griswald no doubt. The bastard sneering at her. If she played her cards right, she could push through the transformation quickly, taking the attention off of Jeremy just long enough for him to recollect himself.

Drawing in another breath, Celine allowed her back to pop, the act pushing her body away from the chair enough for her to pull her wrist free from its hold. Once that was done, a smirk pulled at her lips, turning her head to look at her Alpha.

"You have two minutes," she told him.

With that, she let herself go, her wolf pushing through and taking over. At the same time, Griswald lunged at her, Jeremy grabbing him and sending him flying into the wall.

"I hope you know what you're doing," he grunted out, before throwing a punch at the other mutt.

"Just," she bit her tongue as her bones broke, tears falling. "Need enough time to finish."

She broke the top of the chair as she twisted her body, sending it Jeremy's way to use as a weapon. He nodded in gratitude, watching it break across the side of the wolfs head and knocking the large beast to the ground momentarily.

The young she wolf fell to her side as her arms shifted, pulling what was left of her clothing from her shoulders as she pulled herself free from the chair. Her back was bent as she tugged off her jeans, legs bending unnaturally.

"Celine, you might want to hurry up," Jeremy urged, beating back one of the mutts, only to have the other latch onto his arm.

T

Almost too soon, Jeremy saw the mass of fur jumping from behind him, a snarl erupting as Celine sunk her fangs into the mutt's neck. The think yipped in pain as she tore at its throat, throwing it away from her Alpha. It left Jeremy mildly surprised as he held his arm, blood dripping down his hand onto the cold floor. He could feel his fingers twitch as he stood there, watching the young she wolves as she stood with her hackles raised and ready to protect him. He wasn't expecting such a quick turn around, especially, the forced change that she'd just put herself through.

"Celine," Jeremy called out, watching as she hesitated for a moment.

He was surprised when he didn't have to call her name again, watching as she backed up toward him, never taking her eyes off of the enemy. He let his bloodied hand rest on her head for a moment, before narrowing his eyes at their attacker, the two wolves slowly making their way closer. It was now a somewhat far battle, but he didn't want her partaking in it. Regardless, he had no choice, but to let her fight.

Slowly, Jeremy knelt down beside her, bringing his lips to her ear. His hot breath made the appendage twitch lightly, tail still high in the air.

"I never wanted this for you," Jeremy admitted quietly. "No matter what, if things get out of hand, I want you to leave if you have the chance," he ordered, stroking her ear lightly. "You are no good to me or any of the pack if you are dead."

With that, Jeremy stood, gripping lightly at the fur along the back of her neck.

T

Growls echoed through the old steel mill as the rest of the pack made their way forward, Clay managing to break the door down. When they entered they were met by Celine's growling. Blood covered the floor as one of the mutts lay dead, the other following Celine around in circles as Jeremy stood to the side clutching his arm.

"Jeremy," Antonio called out, carefully moving into the room and over to his friend.

Nicki followed after his father, steering clear of the two wolves as they continued to taunt each other. Clay was the one the padded over toward the two, letting out a vicious growl as he leapt forward, snapping at the other male.

They watched as Celine and Clay acknowledged one another, before slowly moving in sync with one another toward the mutt. Without warning, they lunged, clawing and biting down on the mutt. Celine had gone for the throat once more, only to be thrown against the wall with a yelp. No one dared move though as she slowly pushed herself up, a fire burning in her bright eyes as she shook. Clay took this chance to bite down harshly on the males shoulder, ripping clean through the skin, before Celine bit into his leg. Both wolves pulled, tearing a flesh as they fought together.

"She's holding up better than I thought," Antonio voiced, hand resting on Jeremy's shoulder.

"She's one of us," Jeremy told him, Nicki nodding in agreement.

Again, they watched as Clay and Celine jumped back, the mutt swinging one of its massive paws. He turned on Clay, catching him in the shoulder, only to go rolling as Celine jumped on his back. The female bit down quickly, sending out a spray of blood as she tore off an ear. The sound that followed made Nicki wince, but before they knew it, the mutt was down. Clay stood, mouth dripping blood as he had finally silenced the animal.

**Alright everyone! That was chapter 10. I hope you all enjoyed the long chapter? Please, let me know what you think and what you'd like to see next. Possibly a hint of smut in the next chapter? You'll have to wait an see. If you want it to go faster, I'd recommend reviewing. :) Again, thanks everyone!**


	11. Ch 11: Salted Wounds

**To Run With The Rising Sun**

**Chapter 11**

**Salted Wounds**

**A/N: Inspiration: Salted Wound by Sia (Fifty Shades of Grey Version)**

Once everyone was home, the true silence had set in. Jeremy had insisted that Antonio take a look at Celine's injuries, but she had quietly shaken her head, stating that as Alpha he had to be attended to first. In turn, Antonio had taken Jeremy upstairs to the infirmary in order to get a better look at his arm. The whole time, Celine stood there off to the side, Clay's shirt wrapped around her tiny form.

She watched as the rest of Jeremy's sleeve was rolled up past his elbow, the bloodied and gnarled flesh staring back. She never took her eyes off of him as Antonio pulled the first aid kit forward, pulling out gauze and peroxide. The look on Jeremy's face never changed as the eldest Sorrentino poured the disinfectant over the wound, the substance bubbling and fizzing away as it cleared out the skin. It was actually a wonder that the mutt hadn't done worse, merely leaving behind a flesh wound instead of a broken arm.

The blood didn't seem to bother her as she stared out at the two men, her arms wrapped loosely around herself as she stood there. Her body was tired as she watched, eyes following as Antonio wiped lightly at Jeremy's arm, before dabbing a bit of ointment along the entrance of the wound. Once that was taken care of, he placed down a medical pad and began wrapping his arm. The second it was done with, Celine pushed off the wall and headed back down away from the infirmary. They barely had time to call after her, merely hearing the sound of the bathroom door closing down the hall.

With a sigh, Antonio rubbed the back of his neck, glancing between Jeremy and the direction that Celine had left.

"So much for taking a look at her," he said.

"Perhaps after she's cleaned up," Jeremy offered, carefully pushing himself up and off of the bed that he'd been sitting on.

T

Downstairs, the men sat around the dining table in the kitchen, each talking among themselves. It had been nearly two hours since they had first heard the sound of the shower turning on upstairs. No doubt, the boiler had already gone cold, leaving the water that was spouting out chilled. It took everything that Jeremy had within him not to check on her, convincing himself that she just needed time. After all, he'd never wanted harm to come her way.

Drawing in a breath, Jeremy slowly stood from his chair at the head of the table, the others watching as he slid the chair back into place.

"Jeremy?" Antonio spoke out in question for a moment.

"I believe its time I check on her," Jeremy said, bowing his head slightly, before making his way out of the kitchen.

As he made his way toward the stairs, he paused for a moment, biting down slightly on his lower lip. He shook it off though as he climbed the wooden stairwell, being careful of his arm as he went. It wasn't until he reached the door that he stopped, knocking lightly as he called out to her.

"Celine?" he called softly, standing there.

He heard no response, so he tried again, hand gripping the handle.

"Celine, I'm coming in," he said, before turning the knob and gently pushing it open.

Upon entering, he was met with the sight of her naked in the tub, her body curled into herself as she sat there with the water still pounding upon her now chilled skin. She had a dazed look on her face as she sat there in the tub, not really even acknowledging that Jeremy had come into the room. As he closed the door behind him, he stepped over the clothes that lay abandoned on the floor.

With a sigh, Jeremy knelt down beside her, reaching his head forward and passed the onslaught of water as he turned it off. His hair was wet as he looked down at her, bringing his hand forward and placing it lightly against the side of her face. She blinked ever so slightly as she allowed his thumb to roam the side of her face, his finger tracing the burn mark that now lay there.

"Celine," he murmured, eyes gazing down at the bright red scarred tissue.

Jeremy knew that there was a chance that a few of the nerves had been permanently damaged, a frown setting on his face as he lightly stroked the skin beneath her eye. His eyes trailed further after that, taking in the flared skin of her shoulder. He could tell that one of the mutts had bitten into her flesh, tearing at it. At the same time, they had also burned the skin of the wound to close and stop the bleeding, any and all blood already having gone down the drain.

"Look at me," he whispered, carefully reaching a finger beneath her chin to tilt her head upwards.

Still, she avoided his gaze, his thumb brushing the edge of her lip.

"Celine."

This time, she turned her eyes toward him, a look of sadness having filled them. Among the sadness, he could also see the pain that resided there. She was so torn between what to do and how to respond that she still hadn't said a word. Other than telling Antonio to take care of him, she hadn't made a sound, not since the steel mill. With this in mind, his brows furrowed slightly, lips parting.

Slowly, he pulled her forward, his arms wrapping around her as he pulled her wet frame against him. His head was down as he rested his chin atop her dampened scalp, gently pulling her from the tub. Her arms soon found their way around his middle as he lifted her out and onto the toilet seat.

Again, she remained silent, merely watching as he worked. He reached under the skin and pulled out a first aid kit, one of many that resided within the large house. Popping it open, he pulled several things out, before his hands reached out toward her face. Sitting on his knees, Jeremy cupped the side of her face in his large hand, brushing his thumb against the skin. His other reached up, dabbing something against the side of her temple, her eyes twitching slightly at the pain.

"Sorry," he whispered, before reaching his hand back to the burn on her face.

The burn itself was several inches long, the reddened skin traveling from her brow line, down underneath her eye and over the jaw bone. The mutt had been deliberate in his assault, making sure to draw it out as much as humanly possible. He could see her eyes welling up as he traced along it, sympathy filling him. They had obviously tried to break her, but she had held strong, and so he was proud of her.

"You've nothing to fear," he assured her, moving forward and pressing his lips to her forehead.

The contact sent a shiver through her, finally realizing the cold against her skin. Seeing this, Jeremy grabbed a towel from the wrack and wrapped it carefully around her shoulders. Again, she shivered, before lowering her head. That's when the tears finally came as everything came crashing back down upon her.

T

She could feel the tears forming as she hunched forward, wrapping her arms around her middle as she let loose a choked sob. Her entire body ached something horrible, the skin on her face and shoulder screaming at her from the blisters that had formed around the burns. She was a gigantic mess and she knew it, yet Jeremy was sitting before her without the slightest shred of doubt in his eyes.

She hadn't seen pity in his eyes when he had walked in. No, instead she had seen sympathy, pain even as he had walked toward her. The sight of her seemed to hurt him in ways that neither seemed to fully understand.

Again, Celine closed her eyes as she bowed her head. The tears fell upon her legs, splattering against the bare skin like glass. The rawness of her wrists tried to stare back at her, the skin painful as she twitched, but she just couldn't seem to sit still. She had been forced to sit still for hours tied to that chair while they tortured her. They had burned her in an attempt to squeeze information from her, but she had sat there and taken it instead of giving in.

"I'm sorry, Celine," Jeremy whispered, gently pulling her from where she sat and onto his lap.

The warmth itself sent a pleasant shiver through her body as his fought against the cold.

"Had I gone after the mutt the day we met, none of this would have happened," he told her, his arms holding her close as she lowered her head to his neck.

Her eyes closed as she sat there, merely inhaling his scent. The musky smell filled her nose, followed by what could only be described as natural earth. It was a scent that was uniquely his as Alpha. The muskiness, it was the smell of centuries old books, the pungent smell of paint and tea, and the crispness that was the sun. It was something that she knew she would never smell on another being as long as she lived, her lips lightly brushing the taut flesh of his neck without truly meaning to.

His response was a surprise to her ears as his breath seemed to catch in his throat, lips parting. His body had gone still as though debating how to function for a second or so.

"Jeremy," she murmured, something coming over her as she pulled back slightly, her eyes staring into his.

She could see the gears turning in his head as they sat there, his hand slowly reaching up to touch her face. His touch was feather light, ghosting across her skin and sending another shiver through her. A small noise pressed itself at the back of her throat then. Her eyes glinted as she watched him, his fingers going to her hair and stroking it gently, running his fingers through it as he avoided bumping anything.

Her breath hitched as his nails grazed the skin of her scalp, lips parting. Slowly, his face drifted closer as his hand came to rest at the back of her neck. He urged her forward ever so slightly, but of her own accord as his hot breath hit her face, eyes misted over with a hint of uncertainty. Then, slowly, his lips brushed hers in a chaste kiss. The faint touch of his lips sparked a fire inside of her as she reached out her hand, eyes closing as it came in contact with the scruff of his jaw. Her fingers splayed against his skin, curling slightly as the thick facial hair scratched at her delicate fingers.

It was like a light had gone on inside of her, the kiss chasing away a part of the darkness. The simple sweet sentiment had eased her mind as she slowly kissed him back, neither in a hurry to truly speed things up. As they parted, Celine's eyes fluttered slightly, gazing up at Jeremy's stark blue eyes. They seemed to capture her as she set there on his lap still, hesitating slightly as she moved toward him again. Her lips met his once more as they ghosted against the flesh of her Alpha, until the realization hit her like a ton of bricks, but the feeling of Jeremy's hand on her back pushed that from her mind.

"Celine," Jeremy breathed out, Adam's apple bobbing slightly as he tried to find the words he wanted to say.

It was like he was stuck, unsure of what to do as his tongue twisted on itself. It was a situation that he'd never been placed in before as he stared back at the young she wolf in front of him. In the back of his mind, he felt the wolf inside him trying to tell him something, but he couldn't seem to make out what it was.

"It's…okay," she whispered, gently brushing her fingers through his damp hair.

She watched as he leaned into her touch slightly, seeming to favor the feeling that it brought his soul. Smiling softly, Celine pulled back, the warmth from his skin disappearing from her as she did so. She almost frowned as it happened, her legs pushing her to stand, and Jeremy following suit.

"Celine," he breathed out, gently taking hold of her hand as she turned toward the door.

Again, he seemed stuck on what to say or do, feeling like a young boy again as he stared after her. The towel was open as it revealed her skin to him, finally seeming to notice for the first time, but it wasn't due to lust. He held a look of admiration in his eyes as he caught sight of the skin of her chest and stomach, the swell of her breast rising with every breath. Then it was gone as she gripped at the towel to keep it from falling, her eyes meeting his. This time, they didn't seem to hold the same amount of pain in them as they once did.

"I should…go get changed," she said quietly, before slowly letting her hand fall from his.

With that, she left the bathroom behind her, Jeremy staring down at his hand for a moment. Slowly, he brought his fingers to his lips in faint confusion, wondering what exactly he had just done.

**Alright everyone, that was chapter 11. I hope that you all like it, especially, with a bit of romance thrown in. I enjoyed writing the scene with Jeremy and Celine. Let me know what you'd like to see and what you thought about it? REVIEW AND MESSAGE PLEASE! Let me know what scenes that you'd like to see. Maybe even any particular dialogue that you'd like to see.**


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